Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mark 15: 46
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you,
because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
There has been little time to prepare Jesus’ body for burial. Joseph has to move quickly to place it in the tomb before the Sabbath begins. He wraps it in a simple linen cloth and rolls the stone over the door. The disciples have scattered in fear and grief and it seems like the end.
We too must act quickly if we are to protect our common home, the earth, for future generations. As Pope Francis warned in his final apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum: “Our responses have not been adequate, while the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point.” (#2)
We pray that we may have a sense of urgency and hope, even in dark times, as we seek to make a difference.
Prayer
Jesus, rock of our salvation,
your body was sealed in a tomb,
May our hearts be broken open
by the cry of the earth
and the cry of the poor.
Amen.
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