Ray, Jason, and St. Simon

I.
Not sure how to watch the “Golf Channel.” But if I could, I would definitely tune in for Raymond’s golf lessons…

II.
Let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room. Let’s stop taking around things. Let’s stop living in a fantasy world.

The problem has a name.

He is tall. He is handsome.

But he is not a good NFL quarterback. He never has been, and he never will be.

The problem IS: Number 17, Jason Campbell…

III.
In honor of Friday, the day our Lord carried the cross, we present a beautiful meditation submitted by an anonymous reader:

Simon says… Blood, Sweat, and Incense

A great gift was given to St Simon of Cyrene; a gift he didn’t want at first. He didn’t want to become involved in Our Dear Lord’s Passion. He probably would have preferred to be an anonymous face in the crowd. He was merely a strong man in the right place, at the right time. Simon was pressed into service; forced to assist our Dear Lord in His struggle. But, through this forced burden, Simon became a great saint.

What did Simon see in our Lord’s Holy Face as he took up the burden of the cross with Him? Did he see the sorrow, mercy, compassion and Divine Love that Jesus has for each one of us?

With each step, Simon labored one step closer to sainthood. Each step gave him a new understanding of the mission of our Lord and Savior. Only Simon was asked to walk with Jesus in such an intimate way–shouldering His physical burden with Him.

Surely, some of our Lord’s Precious Blood must have transferred to Simon’s tunic. Only Simon was close enough to have smelled the sweetness of our Christ’s suffering–to have put on the Odor of Christ.

It is hard to imagine that the Son of God would have smelled the way we would smell under those circumstances–of dirt and sweat and blood. Is it possible that Jesus’ aroma was, instead, the sweetness of incense as He offered His Sacrifice to Our Father in Heaven?

The sweet aroma of incense at Mass must pale in comparison to the sweetness of the Sacrifice as It was first offered. The altar server who holds the thurible knows how the fragrance of the incense lingers on your hand.

But only Saint Simon of Cyrene walked so closely with Jesus as to have the Aroma of His Sacrifice linger on him.