Holy Saturday

“I can’t imagine life without my daughter!” That’s what she said. That’s what a very young mom told me when she found out her daughter was gravely ill. She was devastated, beyond consoling. Just two years ago she was contemplating aborting her child. She was only seventeen years old and very much frightened by the challenges she faced. “I can’t raise a child now! I’m not ready for this. I can’t do this.” And now, two years later, she was willing to die for her child. “Lord, please take me before you take her… Please! Do not take her away from me. I can’t live without her. I love her so much. I can’t imagine living my life without my daughter. Please Lord; don’t take my baby away from me.”

As I walked out of the emergency room, I was going over and over again in my mind every word that was said by her. It didn’t make any sense. This young and single mother’s life would be so much less complicated without her daughter. Her expendable income would increase significantly. Her chores and obligations would be cut in…half. She would be able to live just for herself. Her evenings would be free. Her weekends would be fun. Now the Lord was giving her all she wanted. He had provided her the perfect excuse to get back on track; to finish College and to get on with her career. He would take her daughter and she would be free.

Of course, I never mentioned any of these horrible thoughts of mine to her. This logical exercise was for me. I was trying to understand her thoughts, the world’s “thinking” and the paradox of life. Regardless of what the so-called experts in “planning” think or say, life doesn’t work that way. We don’t work that way. Only distant people can think like that. Only horrible people can act that way.

Well, I am pleased to say that this young mom fought for her daughter. She stormed heaven and earth with prayers and promises. A week later, her prayers were answered and she has kept all her promises. She received a special grace and will not doubt again. Today, she considers herself the luckiest woman alive. Why? Because she was brought to her knees and was forced to wake up and smell the stench of her weaknesses. She had been dragged to stand before God and she felt her tininess. She was locked in a tiny room, the room of her tiny thoughts, and wept at the most horrible and gruesome of thoughts. She came face to face with her arrogance and vanity. She could now call them by their proper name: sin. Alas, she closed her eyes as if dead and awoke to the warmth of the risen Son.

What to do on Holy Saturday. What should be my sentiments on this day? What should I be thinking about today? I think we should be forcing ourselves to experience what the Apostles experienced: loneliness and loss; that is, the loss of a loved one and the loneliness of selfishness. I think we should be thinking what the Apostles kept thinking; that is, the constant reliving of their mistakes, mishandlings, and other pathetic little thoughts and actions that were far too big for them and far too little for Jesus. We should re-enact their lives in that locked upper room and detect the stench of fear that filled it, the blame that enflamed it, and the doubts that engulfed it! By doing so, I think we will come up with the same conclusion that they came up with: We need you Lord, more than ever! Only you can save us! Only you can love us!

I think today is the best day to do some exercise and get some good solid cleaning and sweeping done. Let’s work out all those thoughts that keep popping into our brains. You know which ones I am referring to…the “why me...” the “why now…” and the “what if’s…”

I am not asking that you fill this day with sentimentalism. I am asking that you fill this day with gratitude and love. No matter what you are doing, you can do this. In fact, it would be better if you do this while you are busy at work. For example, while you are in the kitchen preparing for tomorrow’s feast, think of what life would be like if you had nothing to prepare…because there was no one to prepare it for. Or while you are cleaning your house and fixing the game room, think of what life would be like if there were no toys because there were no children. Would it be easy or would you be fibbing? Rachael wept because her children were no more.

Think of it like this: love manifests itself best through sacrifice. If there were no meal to prepare, no mess to clean, no bill to pay, then there would be no love to give. Sacrifice is an essential ingredient that invigorates the heart to love. If I do not know how to sacrifice for someone, then I do not know how to love anyone! This is what selfish people tell me. This is what my selfish heart does to me.

We need you Lord, more than ever! Only you can save us! Only you can love us!

Jn 18:1-19:42 The Lord’s Passion

Jn 18:1-19:42 The Lord’s Passion

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Pilate said to Jesus, “What is truth?”

Not too far from St. Monica is a little protestant Church that has a big sign that reads: “Jesus is Alive! The tomb is empty!” I said to myself, “Why so soon? Not yet. Not yet.” Why do we all want to rush through Holy Week? For example, on Holy Tuesday, the little kids had their annual Easter egg hunt. Again, I said to myself, “What’s the rush? We have seven weeks to celebrate Easter. Why are we having an Easter egg hunt now, in Holy Week?” Because we don't know how to love. We rush it! Of course there is nothing wrong with Easter egg hunts and I’m not suggesting we cancel this event, regardless of overzealous parents. But I do believe we need to do things in the proper order and at the proper time. This way, even the sacrifices we make form a vital part of the love we make!

Today, we celebrate the Passion of the Lord. Today, we recall what our Lord endured for our sake. But instead of reliving what Christ suffered, let us relive the extent of Christ’s love for us. The reality of suffering has changed little since the dawn of man. Loneliness, betrayal, pain and denial carry the same stigma today as it did before; but loneliness, betrayal, pain and denial suffered for one’s enemies is new and surprising. We have always understood the value of sacrificing for one’s friends; but we are even more amazed when one sacrifices for one’s enemies.

My concern is that if we don’t celebrate Holy Week correctly, then we won’t celebrate the Lord’s resurrection fully. When I went to the Holy Land, we walked the path that our Lord walked. We prayed the Stations of the Cross where our Lord carried His cross. Now, most of you know that finding a quiet place to pray the Stations of the Cross is next to impossible, but if you don’t know this, let me tell you: praying the Stations in Jerusalem is impossible. But I am sure that what we experienced is what the Lord experienced: indifference and noise. I believe we prayed The Way of the Cross the way the Lord lived it. And it was refreshing! It was actually very exhilarating because it was illuminating! So many times I wanted to give up and say to our group, “This is stupid! It’s ridiculous. No one is paying any attention to us. It’s like we don’t even exist! No one is making room for us. Enough! Let’s get out of here!” But then it dawned on me. For the first time in my life I realized how much more meaningful love coupled with sacrifice is; how Love is particularly powerful when there are no strings attached to it! And there are no strings attached to Christ. Following the Lord does not make us more popular, or wealthier, or healthier. It makes us more like him.

What is truth? What is certain in life and in death? Friends? Family? Spouse? I don’t think so. Life as so far demonstrated to me that all of the above are as fickle as the weather. They come and go like flowers; they are as unreliable as a promise. They are here today and gone tomorrow. What is certain in life and death? The only true answer is: the love of Jesus Christ.

He said to them, “I AM.” What exactly is the Lord’s Passion? It is his unfailing, unconditional and unassuming love for us. No one, neither Pilate nor Judas, forced the Lord to do what he had to do. He did it himself. He forced himself. No one took his life. He laid it down for us. The Lord may have been led away in chains, but he never left our side. While He was stripped of his skin, we never got under his skin. Pilate had the power to nail the Lord to a cross, but it was the Lord that nailed himself to us. “I will be with you till the end of time.” Pilate took everything away from Jesus, but he could never take love away from Him. He could never take the Cross away from Him. That cross represents much more than the sins of the world. United to love, it represents sacrifice.

We would know very little about God if it were not for the words and the works of His Son, Jesus Christ. We would know nothing of what is important if it were not for the Son of God. God answered his critics before any of them ever existed. How can we know God? God is spirit. God is totally different. God cannot be known. To which I reply, “Ah…hello? Hello there…Knock knock…where have you been for the past two thousand years!” We do know God. We do know him by name: Jesus Christ. Christ is the great “I AM”. I AM here. I AM love. I AM in love with you. I AM dying for you. I AM with you. I AM always with you.

Of course we all wish it could have been different. But this is what we did. These are the brutal facts. On the outside we arrested him, beat him and crucified him. But like a bride’s veil, the beauty resides beneath the facts. For this reason, the greatest symbol of Christian marriage, of love, is the Cross.

Christ nailed to the Cross is a perfect reminder to all of us that there can be no love without sacrifice. Joined together is Perfect Love (Christ) nailed to the ultimate sacrifice (Cross); and the two become one, as man and wife become one. And when does the Lord come down from the Cross? Till death do us part. From the side of Jesus came forth his bride the Church. From the side of Adam came forth his bride, Eve.

You see, hidden behind the veil of the crucifix is a never ending love story. And these are the facts: The Lord gave himself so that He could save us. He was beaten by us so that He could forgive us. He was crucified by us so that He could love us.

Jesus Christ revealed to the entire world what we now know for certain: God loves, forgives and gives.

Jn 13:1-15 Who Needs God?

Jn 13:1-15 Who Needs God?

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Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.

Atheists claim the Universe explains itself. They say, “If God exists, then who needs Him?” After all, the earth does not rotate on its axis because God spins it like a wheel of fortune. The sun does not rise and set because God lifts it up and down like an on/off switch. The rain does not come down because God turns it on like a shower. So, who needs God? If he exists, he is unnecessary.

But if these are the arguments used by atheists to prove that God is unnecessary, then the same types of arguments may be used to prove that God is necessary. For it is like saying who needs a heart of compassion if all you need is a heart that pumps? Or who needs a conscious if all you need are laws written in books? Who needs love if all you need is bread and water? We could go deeper and deeper and say who needs poetry or music or dance or friends if all you need is to hunt and gather? Who needs God if all you need is what you see and what you eat?

“During supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Master, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.’”

Who needs God if you can wash your own feet?

The Lord is greater than a mechanic; He is a friend. He is greater than Almighty; He is a slave. God is greater than a physicist; He is a poet, a musician, a lover. Who needs someone who is efficient and highly practical when you can have a Lover that is neither and happier?

Are all creatures necessary? Are their varying shapes and sizes and colors required by law? Of course not! God is an artist. He loves to paint. He loves to create. He even loves to recreate; to re-create. The Lord is not subject to our tests. He is not our Ginny pig. He is not our science project. He is Lord. And you won’t find “Lord” in the index of your AP Biology textbook just like you won’t find art, music, dance, love, compassion and mercy. And yet, they are as essential and as necessary as the brain nestled in my skull and the heart slightly off-center behind my ribs!

It wasn’t enough for the Lord to preach to his Apostles. It was necessary that he lived what he preached. It’s not enough to know what to do to survive. It is necessary to know what to do to succeed: to be happy. And to be happy means to be loved, cost whatever it costs; sacrifice whatever must be sacrificed.

I was in the Philippines at this time two years ago, during Holy Week. It was an amazing experience. I, along with a group of high school students, went to an island that was considered a level five island: no electricity, no running water, and no medical facilities. The island was filled with some of the sickest people I have ever met and some of the poorest people I have ever seen in my life. But I did not come to the people to give them food or clothing. I did not come to them to give them money. I built nothing while I was there. And yet, they loved me and they loved the kids too. They fell in love with us because we came to them. They fell in love with us because we fell in love with them. We fell in love with them because they made us feel special. They fell in love with us because we made them feel special. If you think about it, this is exactly what the Lord did. He did not end poverty or war or famines or illness. He did not put an end to corruption or violence or dictators. He came to us to love us. He came to us because He wanted us to know how special we are. Just like me and my kids, this is all that we did and I can honestly say they loved us.

But what really shocked me, beyond belief, is how they loved me more than ever after I washed their feet. Who would do this? God would. Not only did the Lord wash our feet, He washed our entire body, mind and soul. He cleansed us by the waters of His love and the blood of His life. He changed us.

“What I have done for you, you should also do.”

“Who needs God?” is like saying, “Who needs love? or "Who needs a child?" or "Who needs the elderly?" or "Who needs the poor?" In reality, it is like saying, "Who needs me?” The answer is: all of us, including God!

Mt 26:14-25 Surely It Is Not I, Lord?

Mt 26:14-25 Surely It Is Not I, Lord?

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One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?”

I don’t know if Judas ever thought his actions would lead to Christ’s death. But I am sure he never thought it would lead to his own death. The wages of sin is death; not thirty pieces of silver (cf. Rom 6:23). The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus! Sin leads to despair, which leads to suicide. But forgiveness leads to redemption; it smashes the gates of hell (that entrap me) and leaves wide open one in a million paths to hope and love; and life.

Read all the sacred readings during Holy Week. Underline, highlight, and read over and over again the history of our salvation: what the Lord did, how he did it, what he said, what he didn’t say. Take a hard look because the Lord got through it all! Yes! He got through it all! Love conquers all things!

What would happen to me if I was stripped of my friends? How would I handle being stripped of my hair and my health? What would I do? What would I say? How would I handle being stripped of my reputation; my name? Would I be devastated? Would I fall apart? What would happen to you if you lost your job, your wife, your children, your home and car? What would happen to your teenage daughter or son if their Hearos Skull Screws ear plugs were ripped out of their ears; or if they were disconnected from their iphone, ipod and xbox kinect? Would they shrivel up and blow away if their Tyler shirt, Air Jordan retro (or Lunarglide shoes) and Nike Platinum Elite socks were stripped off of them?

Holy Week will always be holy because it is so realistic, so powerful and so meaningful! We have very few precious days to re-live the most dramatic, the most powerful and the difficult moments in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. But let us not fool ourselves in thinking that this could never happen to me. IT WILL! I too will experience suffering, pain, abandonment, betrayal and loneliness. One day, I will be forced to go where I do not want to go, like a nursing home. One day, I will (if not already) be betrayed and abandoned by my very own. One midnight, my head will spin 360 deg. and my world will be turned upside down by a phone call from the police or a phone call from my child. One day…all this will happen to me, one way or another.

I am not trying to scare anyone. I am simply trying to prepare everyone! We too will go through our Passion. So, it isn’t the time to run and hide but rather meditate and learn; and learn from the Master. Do I have to break all the commandment to be happy? No! Do I have to break any of the commandments to be happy? No. Do I have to respond to every harsh word that is directed towards me? No. A well-trained tongue (cf. Is 50:4) means I know when and when not to use it. Do I have to pick fights with those who attack me? No. Aha! I got it…Do I have to choose my friends very carefully? No. The Lord surrounded himself with mediocre company. They changed. He never changed. “Do what you must”, the Lord told Judas, but I must do what is right.

“Surely, it is not I, Lord?” A few days ago I played for the first time in my life a lottery ticket. I played two dollars worth. I asked myself, “If I won, would I still be a priest?” Well, I didn’t become a priest to become wealthy, that’s for sure! I didn’t become a priest to be comfortable or fashionable or have the latest and greatest electronics or car, that’s for sure. But, what would I do with the money? How would I handle it? Who would I help? “Surely, I would do everything the right way, right?” “Surely, I would be generous to God and to the Church, right?”

Then I remembered the movie, “Airplane” and what comic actor Leslie Nielson would often say: don’t assume anything and stop calling me “Surely”.

Let us not put the Lord to the test. Let us prepare for the test.

Jn 13:21-38 Betrayal

Jn 13:21-38 Betrayal

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Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”

There are only a few moments in the life of Christ when he was “deeply troubled” or sorrowful beyond consolation. We know the Lord wept at the death of his friend Lazarus. We also know that He was troubled at the lack of empathy from his friends: Peter, John and James. And now, we know that He is troubled by the betrayal from his friend Judas. A lack of friendship is what unites these troubling times. Friends can be wonderful as well as troubling. They can be a treasure and a source of tension.

Let’s not think for a moment that friends are more important to us than they are to the Lord. No one likes to lose a friend, not even the Lord. We know that Christ reprimanded the Apostles at times, especially when their conversations or actions were unbecoming of His fellowship. But the Lord never sent any of them away; not Peter or Thomas; not even Judas. He did not wish to lose a single friend. He fought to keep them together till the very end, and he almost succeeded.

Over the years many commentators have tried to explain away Judas as simply an evil or cold-hearted individual. But no man is an island (cf. Is 41:1). We are not so much individual as we are relational. People are who they are based on many factors like education, culture and religion. But we are more like who we are based on our relationships, our upbringing, our family and friends. Given the right time and the right motivation, we are more than capable of betraying as well as befriending. We should know that since we have been at both ends of relationships: friend and foe.

I for one know that I could have easily replaced Judas with myself if I had lived back then. I know that I could have easily have turned my back on the Lord based on my pride and vanity. As a priest, I know how easy it is to betray the Lord in subtle and not so subtle ways. No one becomes evil overnight. No one really “snaps”. What happens is that the individual becomes ever more distant and annoyed at people he once called friends and places he once called home.

A grave injustice would be done if we tried to over simplify our salvation story. Betrayal hits all of us, and it hits us hard. It is almost as old as friendship itself. It should be obvious that friendships precede betrayal. There could be no betrayal if there were no friendships. There would be no betrayals if there was no ability to love. Betrayal will always be evil because evil is the absence of good; and love and friendship are very good.

Judas and Peter hit the Lord hard, very hard. Had he not given enough to them? Had he not given them everything? We betray others when we think we can get something better. Children betray their parents because they think the grass is greener on the other side. This is what kills so many parents. “Do you really think I didn’t love you?” “Do you really think I wouldn’t have given you the best?”

The Lord saw his little flock grow smaller and weaker. He couldn't stop Judas walking out the door or convince Peter of his lie. He closed his eyes at one; he shut his mouth at the other. It all must have felt like a slap in the face or a slap on both cheeks! He must have told himself, “Remember: turn the other cheek!”

The text makes it clear to us that Christ suffered from the loss of his friends. But to say that Judas was never his friend would be a lie. The Lord would not have accepted him or any of them among his intimate circle if he did not consider all to be close friends. Like all of us, he must have thought that love could conquer all things.

Well, it does. Today's lesson is Christ's example through it all. The Lord never changed. How easy it could have been to change. “That’s it. I’m done!” “I’m through with this.” “I give up!” “I give in” “I don’t care anymore” “It’s not worth it” “I’m through.” “I’m finished.”

Let’s learn from the Master himself. You don’t give up till you breathe your last. You never give in. You never give up. You fight till the end. You fight until you win!

The Lord did not change course. On the contrary, he stayed faithful. He doubled his efforts. He stayed committed. He stayed strong. He became the last and finished first.

Jn 12:1-11 Six Days Before Easter

Jn 12:1-11 Six Days Before Easter

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Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany. Martha served a dinner… while Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair.

Both Martha and Mary served the Lord. They served the best they could. Martha prepared a meal for Christ’s body while Mary prepared Christ’s body for burial. Both women were committed to the Lord. Both served the Lord well.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation” (Ps. 27:1a). Christ saves like no one else because Christ loves like no one else. He saves me from those around me. He even saves me from myself! I am not my own savior. I am not Him. (cf. Jn 1:19). I am not even worthy to untie His sandal or have Him enter under my roof. I am not worthy to look him straight in the eyes. This is not some pious nonsense. I am making perfect sense. I am simply stating the truth and the obvious. He is God and I am not. It is the Lord that makes no sense! After all, He is the one that comes looking for me. He looks me straight in the eyes. Christ is the one that unties my sandal and washes my feet. He is the one that enters under my filthy roof and heals me. Why? The Lord is my savior. No one else loves like Him.

The Lord is my light. He enlightens my heart and my mind like no one else because he believes in me like no one else. Yes, the Lord believes in me more than I believe in Him! If I doubt in the Lord it is because I doubt in myself. Doubt does not come from the meek or from the humble of heart. Doubt comes from the boastful and from the arrogant of heart.

Mary and Martha were neither arrogant nor boastful; they were simply intelligent and humble. They were intelligent because they knew who to serve in their life: God. They were humble because they knew who they were: handmaids of the Lord. And they knew who they could never be. But the Lord knew them well, and He knew them better than they knew themselves. And so they became more than they ever dreamed they could be. They became the Lord’s best friends. Yes, God can have best friends, just like a dog can be so important in a man’s life. These two became the “God-man’s” best friends.

The Lord is my light. He enlightens my sins and my shame like no one else because he shines high above me like no one else. My instinct is to fight or flight. When I hide in my closet, away from the light, I wish the Lord away; more than I wish myself away. I wish to be left alone, to be seen no more. But the “Lord alone is compassionate with our faults.” The Lord alone walks straight into my room; never doubting, never failing, and somewhat never invited! I fear in what He can revile and who He can reveal. The Lord’s presence makes all things go bright. His very presence sheds light upon my sins. Can He be persuaded to leave me alone? Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man! Will He just step in? Could He be satisfied with being in close proximity? Close but not too close? No. I know the Lord. He will walk straight in and turn to the right. He will open the door that hides my skin. He will brighten the darkness that bathes my sins. He will release my, like a prisoner, and take my place. He will throw me out and close himself in. He will shut the door as a tomb is shut tight. Never boastful, never arrogant but confident and courageous, He will take my grave sins and bury them in His grave. Those who live in darkness have seen a great light!

The Lord is my light and my salvation. Like Mary, I place my faith and my love in the Lord, regardless of the cost; regardless of the shame; regardless of any pain. How could it be any different for me? It is Christ’s love that saved me and condemned Him! Faith and love saves as well as condemns.

Look graciously, O Lord, upon the sacred mysteries we celebrate here, and may what you have mercifully provided to cancel the judgment we incurred bear for us fruit in eternal life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Mk 14:1-15:47 My God, my God!

Mk 14:1-15:47 My God, my God!

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“My God, my God!” I chose these words for the title of my meditation because it perfectly describes the day’s events and emotions.

Today, this Palm Sunday, everything is upside down, topsy-turvy. There is a storm that is brewing. The winds of change are coming upon the world.

“My God, my God” As Christ entered his holy city (the holy city of Jerusalem) the crowd greeted him as their Savior, as the Anointed One, as the King of the Jews. The crowd initially greeted Jesus enthusiastically; with cheers and the waving of palms. They laid down their cloaks and worshipped the God-man riding on a donkey. The people acknowledged Christ’s humble authority and saving power. But not too long after these events, the Lord spoke these very same words himself, as he lay nailed to the Cross. How people change. How things change. My God, my God.

“My God, my God” We say these words in good times. We say these words in bad times. We need to learn to pray these words always, before the good times and the bad times. We need to pray. The more we pray, the more we live. Let me explain. The more I pray, the less I sin. The less I sin, the more I love. The more I love, the more I live! My God, my God.

“My God, my God” Did you notice the “young man” who was wearing only a linen cloth? He was following Jesus from a distance. It is clear he wanted to be a follower, a disciple of the Lord. But he chose the wrong day and the wrong time. As the Apostles were fleeing for their life, this young man was seized by the high priest’s guards, but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked. My God, my God.

Reflecting on this passage, I find it ironic how the Apostles left everything to follow the Lord. Now, they were leaving everything to get away from him! Have I realized that every time I try to live my life far from the Lord, I lose my dignity? My God, my God.

“My God, my God” Jesus had warned Peter when he said; “You will deny me…Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” Peter did not pray; instead, he slept. And when an old maid asked him if he knew Jesus, he denied it; in fact, he denied him three times. At that, the cocked crowed twice and Peter ran off and wept bitterly. My God, my God.

Do I have to sin in this world to survive in this world? Do I have to lie to get ahead in this world? The Lord answers this question with His Passion. When the high priest rose before the assembly and questioned Jesus saying, “Are you the son of the Blessed One?” The Lord lifted his head and solemnly said, “I am”. My God, my God.

The Lord could have lied. He could have denied his Father; his very existence; but he didn’t. He would not deny his Father his Glory. He would not deny His Father’s chance to do something amazing! Something great! Every time we lie, we deny God the chance to work his miracle into the world. My God, my God.

“My God, my God” On the night that he was betrayed, the Lord prayed. On the eve of his passion, the Lord prayed passionately. He prayed the prayer that the Father cannot ignore. The Lord prayed the most powerful prayer in the Universe. Jesus told his father, “Abba, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.” My God, my God.

If you feel as though God ignores your prayers, then try praying this prayer: “Father, do whatever you want with me.” I guarantee you he will answer it by saying, “You got it!”

During Holy Week, it will become more and more evident that the chains holding Jesus’ wrists together or the noose wrapped around his neck were not as strong or as tight as His Love for us! In the end, it was not Judas or Pilate or the crowd that did Christ in. It was His unconditional love for us that did Him in. The Lord's love for us held Him together. It will be his unfailing love for us that holds us together too. My God, my God.

My God, my God, may I always proclaim Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior now and forever! Amen.