The following are three meditations given by The Rev. Shelley D. McDade on Good Friday at The Church of the Ascension. Each of the meditations is introduced by the text of a spiritual leader. The first is Richard Rohr, a Roman Catholic monk and priest. The second meditation is introduced by a reading from Hildegard of Bingen and inspired by The Dalai Lama; the third from Julian of Norwich.
Newsletter
Parish News: August 30
Father Ed explores René Girard’s mimetic theory—how we unconsciously learn what to desire through imitation. Drawing on gospel examples like John the Baptist’s death and Pilate, he suggests Jesus repeatedly helps listeners recognize their unwitting participation in violence. This Sunday’s gospel shows Peter spectacularly illustrating this mimetic contagion. Father Ed invites us to examine how we’re unknowingly directed toward violence, subtle or overt.
