Historical Setting: The Great Skellig in an unknown time
I speak the Spirit of the familiar prayer aloud with Brother Lugh but not using the words of practiced repetitions; and he objects. Just now, I prefer thoughtful words to empty phrases so I continue in disorder.
I say, “Guide us wandering into the thin places — the liminal space between heaven and earth.”
He corrects, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
On it goes.
“Give us the goat’s milk and Swiss chard we need just for this one day, on earth as we are nurtured in heaven,
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
“And flaunt us in the forgiveness that releases Spirit from earthly errors.”
“Forgive us our debts.”
“Let us truly believe in forgiveness, enabling us to release others from their indebtedness to us.”
“As we forgive our debtors…
“Lazarus, I don’t really blame you for making a liar of me in front of the abbot. I mean, you were dead. What could you do? But I blame the whole Lazarus tale that fools the world into thinking dead people can just rise up and live again. And yet, death is death, and I will never see my father again. (He wails.) I took the vow. It is such a deep hurt to give up self to God. You can’t just make up your own words to a prayer.”
“You know, Brother Lugh, the Lazarus story is a sign on earth of life as it is in heaven. Death is an earthly undeniable fact, but a sign uses an earthly fact to speak an invisible, but real, spiritual truth. Spiritually, death itself is breached — on earth as it is in heaven.”
“In one way I like to believe that because I feel my father with me, even as I know he is dead, but, of course…”
“You can’t just ‘like to believe’ something. You either do believe it or you don’t no matter what other people — even if they are bishops or abbots or even your own father tell you to believe. And grief is the love between you and your father that you know is true and real and present with you. You know your father’s spirit and your own parent’s love is still with you.”
“The abbot would say it is a sin to dwell on my father. And if I say, it was my father who is dwelling with me, the abbot will say I continue to lie.”
“So, what can I say to the abbot on your behalf?”
(Continues tomorrow)
Lazarus Ink 