Kyrie eleison

It's Friday again. I cheated a little. You could fill libraries with the works that were written on today's subject. Thankfully, it seems a little silly to try do it justice. The rules and benefits of Five Minute Fridays can be found, as on every Friday, here. Today's word is "mercy".

When I was a student in New Brunswick, I took a trip to a savonrie, a soap shop that made their own product, cottage industry style, right in the store. Their claim to fame was their olive oil: the core of every soap they made. We watched the demonstrator rub the raw oil all over his face, his hands, his hair, and laughed nervously at the thought of cleanliness through such a greasing. "You laugh", he said, baldly Acadien in his confidence, "but this is the image of health!" And so it was: a man shining in life, supple with grace.

Kyrie eleison

I remember the first sermon where the Greek that renders as 'Lord have mercy' was given a more thorough translation. 'Eleison' finds it's root in 'oil', that fruit of the olive once so vital to Mediterranean cooking, heating, light and life. Those two scenes juxtapose together: the oil that sooths, heals, nourishes is also that that cleans, that smooths all our rough edges. The image of health.

Kyrie eleison

Comments

  1. Love this!! I've never heard that before and I adore learning new things. What an unexpected treat here today!!

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    1. The world's just full of new things, isn't it? Glad to provide the fodder. Thanks for stopping by :)

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  2. Kyrie, I agree with you - how can we do "mercy" justice? I struggled with the topic in my sleep last night, not because I don't know His mercy, but because it is so overwhelming and my life holds so many rich examples of His grace and mercy -AMEN! I love olive oil! Use it as a moisturizer, so I can appreciate your education on it. thank you for sharing :)

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  3. So beautiful, Rachel. I've never heard mercy described in that way. My upbringing twisted that word into something evil and cruel, but you redeemed it today. Thank you. xo

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    1. Blessed to be part of the healing. You're very welcome :)

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  4. I had no idea where the word had originated. Thanks for posting.

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