First Friday

Today is the first Friday of Lent.  The first meatless Friday of the year.  I was trying to think of a way to explain the "why" of being meatless on Fridays.  The bottom line is this: Jesus gave up his flesh on a Friday, and we honor that sacrifice by giving up "flesh" as well. 

Meatless.  Fleshless.  During the Fridays of Lent, we are called to pay attention to the part of Jesus' life that was fleshy.  He took up the flesh for us, because God the Father is too omnipotent for our human minds to comprehend.  (Not to mention that this particular blogger believes that he is best understood with the heart, not the mind.) The person of Jesus was way less scary than God the Father just walking up to you and saying, "Hi, how's it going?" 

 I mean, just imagine Simon Peter, James and John hanging out on the dock fixing nets, and being themselves, (gruff fishermen, spitting, cussing, bragging, etc.)  God the Father, in all His Glory, walks up to Peter and says, "Hi, you are Peter, and on this Rock I'll build my Church."  At this point, Peter is still Simon.  Can you just imagine?  I'd be freaking out, personally, but I'm no Peter. 

So God the Son, Jesus, who was there all along, says, "Hey Father, Let me get this one.  I'll take on their fleshyness, and become one of them and go get them."  And He did.  Out of Love.  They just wanted us to be a part of their Love.  They just want to Love us.  That's all.

But taking on our flesh wasn't enough.  He took on all of our crappiness, all of our sin, he took the blame for all of it.  Every crappy, rotten thing I've chosen.  Every hurtful, hateful word or deed I've ever done, or thought of.  He said, "I've got this one, Amy, I'll take all of this, and put it where it belongs.  Give me your fleshyness, and I'll trade you for my Divinity.  No charge.  Just Love Me."  He took my crappiness to Hell and left it there, where it belongs.  Then He came back for me, in the flesh.  The new flesh.  The perfected, glorious, sinless, Divine flesh.  

I'm keeping my part of the deal.  I Love Him.  He holds most of my divinity until I'm ready for the fullness of it.  Like a kid with a $50 bill, it's too much for me.  Sometimes it's overwhelming, so I cry.  That's okay.  Crying is good.  

So happy Friday.  May the gift of Jesus (in the Flesh) sink into your heart and soul and mind, and overwhelm you with gratefulness until I'm not crying alone.