Emmaus Blog

Friday, March 13, 2026: The Eleventh Station:  Jesus is Nailed to the Cross Scripture: Luke 23:33-34 And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. Reflection: You’ll never see a greater example of love than the moment that Jesus was nailed to the cross. Jesus, teach us to love like you.  Help us to never judge, objectify, or ignore the people in our path, but see each and every person we meet as you see them. Prayer:  Oh God, we see your face in all those who face torture and abuse today, including victims of trafficking. You endured crucifixion for love of us; help us to know that and remember it in our darkest days. Story: Yemi, a young man from Nigeria, was lured into a human trafficking scheme that brought him through many countries until he eventually arrived ...

Thursday, March 12, 2026: The Tenth Station: Jesus is Stripped of His Garments Scripture: John 19:23-24 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garments and made four parts, one for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was without seam, woven from top to bottom; so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the scripture, “They parted my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” Reflection: They’ve taken everything from Jesus, even his clothes. But it doesn’t matter–no amount of humiliation, no amount of pain, will stop Jesus from fulfilling what God has asked of him. The soldiers strip Jesus of his garments, treating him as a common criminal. Prayer:  Jesus, you were humiliated and degraded by the powers of your day, treated as a criminal despite your gentleness. We hold in our hearts our immigrant brothers and sisters who are degraded by the injustice of our systems. Draw ne...

Wednesday, March 11, 2026: Station 9: Weakened almost to the point of death, Jesus falls a third time. Scripture: Psalm 38:4-9 I am utterly spent and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. Lord, all my longing is known to thee, my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart throbs, my strength fails me; and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my kinsmen stand afar off. But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. Reflection: Jesus is exhausted and the weight of the cross overwhelms him. There are times in our lives like this too–times when we don’t know which way is up or down, left or right, back or forward. What do you do when you find yourself beat up and abandoned in one of life’s dark alleys? Walk toward the light. Prayer: Lord Jesus, this last fall showed your utter exhaustion after hours of suffering. Many of our immigrant brothers and sisters today find themselves close ...

Tuesday, March 10, 2026: The Eighth Station: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem Reading: Luke 23:27-31 And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never gave suck!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’; and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Reflection: When the women of Jerusalem saw Jesus suffering, they were overcome with grief. They loved Jesus–they had seen him healing the sick, performing miracles, and speaking with enormous crowds who followed him everywhere. But now, everything was different and they weren’t ready for it. Jesus tells the women to weep not for him  but for themselve...

Monday, March 9, 2026: A Reminder and the Miraculous Saint Brigid Reminder:  Becoming More Fully Alive: The Spiritual Practice of Aging Well:   With Parker Palmer Our final video in the series presented by the Education Committee is the last of the of the 4-part series: It will be shown, followed by a lively and thoughtful discussion:  Wednesday, March 11th at 1:00PM Location: Nancy and Bob’s: at 2404 Marilyn Circle, Petaluma, CA 94954  Please RSVP to Nancy at (707) 773-0904 Or Via Email at rnmcfar1938@yahoo.com What if aging isn't about decline-but about becoming more fully alive? In this session, beloved teacher Parker Palmer invites us to reimagine aging as a season of depth, resilience, and possibility. Drawing from his lived experience and signature gift for storytelling, Parker explores how to stand in "the gap" between the world as it is and the world as it could be-without turning away from the sorrow or joy of being human. We celebrate St Brigid: Her father ...

 Sunday, March 8, 2026:   Emmaus Liturgy Today at 4:00PM Today's Celebration: Celtic Spirituality and Thresholds We invite everyone to join us in person. We begin at 3:45 with our greeting. 4:00 Liturgy (Liturgy is defined as the work of the people -- in this case Enid Macken, Jane Vogel and Mary Ellen Waite) We meet in Classroom 8 of Christ Church United Methodist 1717 Yulupa Drive in Santa Rosa. You are also invited to our Emmaus Community celebration via ZOOM: Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5193158573?omn=81984272672 Passcode: 1234 Or open your browser, start Zoom and enter the Meeting ID:  519 315 8573 Passcode: 1234 Or Join by Phone: One tap mobile +16699006833,,5193158573# US (San Jose) +16694449171,,5193158573# US Introduction (Enid)  Elements of Celtic Spirituality and Importance of Thresholds Altar Items We are now in the threshold space of moving from our individual lives into our community worship time. We will pause for a minute of silen...