By The Power of the CROSS

The Mystical Journey began when I was in my early thirty's. Within three years my life changed entirely. It started when I purchased, with my birthday money, a "budded cross" which I just had to have at a nearby shrine. I loved the simple wooden appearance and wondered what the significance was of the special design. I placed it in my kitchen, not realizing that it was the "first" step.

A series of events found me praying in desperation, at St. Hedwig's Church in front of an Icon, which at that time, was foreign to me. I needed divine intervention. That prayer was answered, within a week and in a violent upheaval of my life. Later, I saw how necessary it was and how unexpected God's way is, not the way I envisioned the answer to come at all. He knew that I lacked the courage to do what had to be done, and He was determined to change my life and save me, quickly.

The long and short of this story is that it led me to meet a new priest and his family in another religion, in the Orthodox Church. Having been raised a strict Catholic, it was not something that I would have done without divine grace. But low and behold, upon entering that church, when I looked up, there was the "budded" cross. I felt like I had come home.

God does not abandon us in time of need or in time of trouble. He gives us clues, helpers, and sometimes not even ones we would have expected or know. The pieces fell into place, one after the other. All I had to do is trust.

Someone asked me what did Jesus accomplish for His people, leaving one little word out of my blog, a couple of days ago. It was not done intentionally, but as I was pondering what I would say, it just seemed that the answer was enormous, leaving me to not know where to begin. Then, I thought of the cross. Most movies that I've seen, show Jesus looking up, nailed to the cross, saying these words. (Luke 23:34)"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."

That's an understatement I thought, but forgiveness is a great place to begin. A loving Father, came to forgive His children, because He loves them that much and wants us to be with Him for all eternity. That's where we all need to begin.

Giving it another moments thought, that is exactly were we began this entire journey of Lent, "Forgiveness Sunday."

Maybe we should say that more often.

(scripture references are from: The Orthodox Study Bible)