It’s called a “trial separation.”  Kinda of a weird name for a marriage that’s about to break up, isn’t it?  Because you see if the “trial” of this temporary arrangement doesn’t work out, then you’re back to your failing marriage that caused the “trial separation” in the first place.  Kinda weird, isn’t it?  And who sets the timeline for this “trial?”  Husband, wife?  One month, six months?  Hospice gives you six months, so why not lawyers?

But, if the supposed “trial” does work out, then you’ve achieved success?  The two of you get a divorce and are now totally separated from each other.

We’ve had our experiences with “trial separations.”  We don’t hear God in our lives (or we’re just not listening) so we go our own merry way.  We separate.  “Trial,” of course.  We think it’s permanent until things fall apart and then we admit that the “trial” part didn’t work out the way you hoped it would.  So we get back together again, God and you, in this marital struggle like him and her except this time it’s between God and you.

We had our “trial separation” this weekend.  We got to kill him on Good Friday and suddenly this morning we find his empty grave.  We were positive that our divorce papers from God were final this weekend.  We signed the papers, wrong attorney?  What’s with this?

The problem is that we can kill Jesus but we can’t kill God.  (Remember the “three persons in One God” part of catechism?  The “Christ” is raised from the dead, Jesus lives now as Christ because we cannot kill God regardless of our so called petty little “trial separations.”

It’s called a covenant, folks.  It’s a binding covenant between God and us and was initiated by God, instituted by God, implemented by God and injected into us by our baptism.

Wow.  Four “I” words in one sentence that ignores our cute, little “trial separation.”  Initiated, Instituted, Implemented and Injected.  Sounds pretty solid to me.

Because you see all of our stupid failings and sins are the stuff of “Good Friday.”  That dark day when the nails hit and temple curtain was torn.  It was dark by three in the afternoon.  Climate change?  I don’t think so.

It is because of the covenant of God.  Unbreakable; sometimes unbearable and unpredictable but always un-eraseable.  Wow, four “U” words in one sentence to describe God.  Unbreakable, Unbearable, Unpredictable and Un-eraseable.   The last “U” word is a made up word but God can do that; after all, He’s God.

The prophet Jeremiah told us about this covenant hundreds of years before Jesus came along.  He told us that God’s covenant isn’t taught to us.  It doesn’t come to us from our parents or teachers, it’s not a quiz with multiple choice or true/false.  It’s not a tweeter tweet from the pope.  God’s covenant is written within our hearts.  Remember the last “I?”  Injected.

Whenever and where ever we do a “Good Friday” silly, stupid sin, God is always there with His Easter Sunday promise.  Whenever and where ever we pull a prankish push toward a “trial separation” with God, God is always there with His Easter Sunday promise.

“Good Friday” is for amateurs, guys thinking they can pull off a “trial,” holding out for a divorce from the Divine.  Good luck.  F. Lee Bailey is dead, no attorney will touch your case.  Many have tried and everyone, and I mean everyone has failed.

A “trial separation” from God?  Laughable.  That’s all “Good Friday” talk and that was, what, two days ago?  What’s two days in our culture?  That’s old news.

Today is Easter Sunday and it’s all about hope, promises that are kept and a marital union between God and humanity; it’s a marriage made in heaven.

A Great Gift Idea

A new book by Fr. Joe Jagodensky, SDS.
Available at Amazon.com
Paperback or Kindle is $14.95.  Enjoyable reading.