As we approach the Triduum, I am
reminded of an observation by Isak Dinesen: “The cure for anything
is salt water—sweat, tears, or the sea.” During Jesus’ agony in the Garden, we
are told that he sweat blood. Peter, along with the women who watched Jesus
carry the cross and observed his crucifixion and death, wept from the depth of
their souls. The resurrected Christ appeared to the disciples at the shore of
the sea, where they sought solace in the familiar task of fishing.
In Matthew 5:13, Jesus says, “You
are the salt of the earth,” and our sweat, tears, and fascination with the sea
confirm that. To accept our humanity, we must be willing to sweat (work hard at
what matters), cry (out of compassion and grief), and immerse ourselves in awe and
gratitude, which are triggered by the immensity, power, and gifts of the sea.
During the Triduum and Easter
season, our senses will be “assaulted” by many stories, songs, and symbols. Let
us take it all with a grain of salt, that we may experience the full flavor of
what we are commemorating.
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