Mary’s Corner

Posted on by
2

Peace and love to you all in the name of Jesus Christ,

A book called The Universal Christ was my first encounter with the writings of Father Richard Rohr. I remember being fascinated by the book and by Father Rohr’s understanding of Jesus Christ. To summarize: “Richard Rohr proposes that every human being is already ‘in Christ,’ and that Christ is not just Jesus, but a broader, universal reality. This idea suggests that the divine love expressed in Jesus is also present in all of creation, including every human being. The book encourages seeing the Christ in all things and fosters a sense of interconnectedness and unity.”

The book calls us to change our point of view. It invites us to look at everything as holy. It challenges us to stop judging, stop comparing, and stop separating ourselves from one another. Instead, Rohr calls us into a relationship with Jesus Christ so intimate that we begin to see the world through Christ’s eyes and love the world with the divine love of our God. I remember from my first reading that Rohr emphasizes this divine love begins in the mirror.

That is the barrier though, isn’t it—loving ourselves, also? We hold so many grudges against ourselves and have passed so much judgment on our own actions that we struggle to give mercy where it’s most needed. “Mercy is a way to describe the mystery of forgiveness. It is who God is.” The word for mercy in Hebrew is hesed, and it means steadfast, enduring, unbreakable love.

Steadfast, enduring, unbreakable love! Can you imagine the world if people practiced this kind of love with the human in the mirror and the rest of God’s creation? This is what heaven must be like—a place where we give up clinging to our unforgiveness, toward ourselves and others, and release the divine love that God has placed in our hearts.

As we move through Holy Week, think about what it took for God to set aside the glories of heaven, take on human flesh, and live the life Jesus lived on this earth. God gave everything. I believe God did it for love.

I pray that you encounter the Universal Christ in your life. I pray that God’s divine love so overwhelms you that you begin to see yourself—and others—as we are all seen in the eyes of Jesus: the beloved children of Christ.

Maundy Thursday: 6:00 PM light dinner, 6:30 PM service

Good Friday: 6:00 PM dinner, 6:30 PM service

Easter Sunday: 10:00 AM Easter Egg Hunt for the children; 11:00 AM Easter worship service

The Universal Christ. 2019. (Accessed April 14, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/receiving-gods-mercy/)

Kids’ News – “Palm Branches and Praises”

Posted on by
Reply

It was the beginning of Passover, and the city of Jerusalem was full of people. Word had spread quickly: Jesus is coming! The man who healed the sick, fed thousands, and even raised Lazarus from the dead—He’s on His way!

As Jesus approached the city, the crowd grew larger and louder. People rushed to cut palm branches from nearby trees—symbols of celebration and hope. Some waved them high, others laid them on the dusty road ahead of Him. Children ran forward, placing their branches gently before Him, so the donkey carrying Jesus could walk on a path made of palms.

And as Jesus rode into the city on a young donkey, the people shouted with joy:

“Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!” (John 12:13)

But Jesus wasn’t the kind of king they expected. He didn’t come riding a warhorse or dressed in royal robes. He came humbly, peacefully—riding on a donkey, just as Scripture had promised:

“Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.” (John 12:15)

This King didn’t come to conquer. He came to love. And the path He chose would lead not to a palace, but to a cross—and then to a miracle.

What We Learned

✔ Palm Sunday tells the story of Jesus being welcomed into Jerusalem with celebration and praise.
✔ The people and children laid palm branches on the road to honor Him as King.
✔ Jesus rode a donkey to show He came in peace and humility, not in power or pride.
✔ We are invited to follow His example by choosing kindness, peace, and love.

This Sunday, our kids helped bring the story to life—shouting Hosanna! and laying their branches before our King. It was beautiful to see!

And now… we’re getting ready for Easter!

🐣 The Easter Egg Hunt starts at 10:00 AM this Sunday—don’t be late!

Friday’s Word – “Looks Like It’s True”

Posted on by
Reply

I don’t want to offend anyone. People of all faiths have a chance at heaven.

There is truth in all the great religions. We all belong to God, and God loves all of us equally.

But evidence suggests that the essentials of Christianity are true.

However hard some may fight it, it looks like the Shroud of Turin is the real thing. A new cutting-edge X-ray dating technique sets the Shroud at the time of Christ.

The argument may be over. For the image on the Shroud tells the complete story of the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus.

It is like a snapshot of the body of Jesus at the very moment of the body’s transformation.

The Shroud tells us that the body de-materialized. As the Shroud fell through the body, it recorded the bones in the hands and the bony sockets of the teeth. These are visible on the Shroud image.

The image is over the blood, which means the blood went on first. And we know it is human blood.

Someone died and was raised 2,000 years ago. The only candidate is Jesus.

If I were not a believer, I would hate to face all the evidence that Jesus is, in fact, Lord. Just His appearance to people of many faiths in religious experiences and NDEs would shake my unbelief.

I want to live reality.

I want the truth and nothing but the truth.

And all the evidence I am aware of points to the truth of the primary claims of Christianity.

The primary claims. Not the nonsense claim that people of other faiths go to hell.

Sunday is Palm Sunday.

Choose reality in your life.