The temps are supposed to nose-dive below freezing for the next few days, and I’ve now just run out of all the wood I had stacked up for the winter. So, I went out this morning to cut some totally dead trees into managable sizes, say, about the size of a cross. Shouldering those, I forged my way back to the hermitage and dumped them on the steps. They’re a bit waterlogged, so to speak, after all the rains this past week. Later, I hope to cut these up a bit more, then perhaps chop them up and stack them inside. As you can see, I’ve not bothered to make much progress on the hermitage “door”. I have to do something to be in solidarity with the priests who are most marginalized. This is at least one small thing. I hear, though, that there may be a pack of seminarians invading the hermitage so as to put up some real wall and doors during the summer. IF that were to happen, O.K. That’ll do them good, so I’m all for it!
Hauling wood on Good Friday reminds me, of course, of Jesus. Also of little Isaac, who carried the wood on which he himself was to be burned. You remember the story, how the angel stopped Abraham’s arm just as the knife was to be plunged into his little son. Isaac, being guilty of original sin, wasn’t worthy of being the sacrifice that would take away the sins of the world. That would have to be a lamb that God would provide. And He did. As John said: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!”
Writing about that is one of my future projects, please God. For the longest time, I’ve wanted to write about this story in Genesis, the Gospels, and then how the Qur’an totally rejected this passage, making the reversal of it the very centerpiece of Islam, so that when they bow down to pray, they are Abraham’s son bowing to get his head cut off. The difference between Judaeo-Catholic interpretation and Islamic interpretation is the difference between absolute day and absolute night, between looking to the immediate resurrection of the dead and, well, I won’t say, lest I be arrested. This has to be fleshed out in an entire volume. So, I have something to look forward to writing.
Accompany me, Father George David Byers, S.S.L., S.T.D., as I begin life as a Catholic Priest-Hermit by choice. Holy Souls Hermitage is dedicated to the sanctification of my fellow priests, bishops, deacons & seminarians going through the purgatory of this life or the next. Prayer and sacrifice go up, of course, for both Benedict XVI and the next Successor of Saint Peter. 
There is a serious need for more and more apologetics against the Islamic religion. This topic sounds incredibly fascinating and unique; maybe you can consider a longish post/summary on the topic like what you did for your thesis. All the best Father, and may Christ the High Priest richly bless you this day.
Steadfast cross, among all other
Thou art a tree of great prize;
In branch and flower such another
I ne wot non in wood nor rise.
Sweet be the nails, and sweet be the tree,
And sweeter be the burden that hangs upon thee.
{anonymous from 15th century}