I had never heard of costochondritis. It made my chest hurt and scared me into a trip to the emergency room where they quickly did an EKG, blood tests, and lung x-rays to rule out heart and lung issues. The good news is my heart and lungs are healthy!

But, I need to lay off the running until the pain subsides. I don’t know if that will be a day, or a week, or longer.

Holy Week seems like a fitting time to slow down and pay attention to the Via Dolorosa; to unite myself in whatever little ways I can to the suffering of Christ which won for us so great a salvation. To know Christ in his suffering prepares us to know him in his resurrection power and glory because the Love is the same. His Love never changes, it’s always free, unconditional, not contingent on what we do or don’t do, and transformative – changing despair to hope, darkness to light, and doubt to faith.

We’re also approaching the anniversary of my Mama’s death which took place during Holy Week six years ago, but this year the anniversary is Easter Monday. So thoughts of death and resurrection color my thoughts.