ENGAZED

During my recent trip to Korea, a few of us were given a private tour of the convent that is located on the grounds of the Cathedral in Seoul. Sr. Catherine, a spry 70 year old nun who is also a priest (it is interesting to see her in her habit with a clerical collar!) gave us the tour.

We came to a door that had the sign pictured in the photo in this blog entry. ENGAZED! I think they meant to write "engaged" -- but I was fascinated by this "new" word. It isn't in the dictionary -- I checked.

Gaze -- to fix the eyes in a steady intent look often with eagerness or studious attention.

Hmmm. Maybe a working definition of engazed could be: to fix the eyes in a steady intent look on our inner life or soul; self reflection. Or, better yet: to become so fully attentive to something that nothing can take ones eyes or thoughts off the object of the gaze.

I wonder if, on this Holy Saturday, we can engaze and look at the tomb so intently that we see the stone being rolled away, our Lord resurrected.

On this most Holy Night, may we be engazed as the paschal fire is lit, as we process into the darkened sanctuary -- the paschal candle cutting the darkness with its light. May we be engazed as we hear the stories of the history and of our Lord's passover from death to life. May we as we cry out "Alleluia! The Lord is Risen! The Lord is Risen indeed! Alleluia!" find our lives transformed through self-reflection (engazement!) by the great loving act that was done for us.