As a kid I loved to hide behind our floor-to-ceiling curtains. I would wrap the polyester fabric around my body, squeeze my eyes shut and hold my breath to avoid being detected. I teetered between the excitement of being found and the dread of not being discovered.
Equally terrifying was “The Wizard of Oz.” Broadcast once a year, I would sit on the floor with eyes glued to the television screen. Even though I memorized the storyline, the moment that the man behind the curtain was accidentally revealed was always disappointing. Like the people of Emerald City, I wanted to believe that the wizard was more than just an ordinary man.
While both these memories make me smile, it is the veil mentioned in 2 Corinthians 3:16,18 that sparks my attention. For it is written, “But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away” and “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.”
Unlike the wizard who was deliberately hiding and found to be ordinary, Jesus is not hiding and His existence is not ordinary.
There is no place like home and, as Christians, our eternal home is Heaven. A pair of ruby slippers and a yellow brick road are not needed. All one must do is accept Jesus’ invitation to come out of hiding.
Accepting the invitation and in anticipation of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter, many Western Christians are following the Stations of the Cross that present the trial, crucifixion and burial of Jesus. This time-honored Lenten devotion has been in place for more than 1,000 years and, even though there are some differences between denominations, the stations are found in the traditions of Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans, etc.
Those wishing to pull back the veil are invited to join the Pagosa Catholic Community for the Stations of the Cross on Fridays starting Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. at Pope John Paul II located at 353 S. Pagosa and/or on Wednesdays starting Feb. 14 at 4 p.m. for rosary followed by the stations at Immaculate Heart of Mary located at 451 Lewis St. Stations are held seven consecutive weeks ending on Good Friday.
Visit ihmjp2.org for the Good Friday Procession and Easter schedules.
