Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord

From the Catecheses by Saint John Chrysostom

If we wish to understand the power of Christ’s blood, we should go back to the ancient account of its prefiguration in Egypt. “Sacrifice a lamb without blemish,” commanded Moses, “and sprinkle its blood on your doors”. If we were to ask him what he meant, and how the blood of an irrational beast could possibly save men endowed with reason, his answer would be that the saving power lies not in the blood itself, but in the fact that it is a sign of the Lord’s blood. In those days, when the destroying angel saw the blood on the doors he did not dare to enter, so how much less will the devil approach now when he sees, not that figurative blood on the doors, but the true blood on the lips of believers, the doors of the temple of Christ.

If you desire further proof of the power of this blood, remember where it came from, how it ran down from the cross, flowing from the Master’s side. The gospel records that when Christ was dead, but still hung on the cross, a soldier came and pierced his side with a lance and immediately there poured out water and blood. Now the water was a symbol of Baptism and the Blood, of the Holy Eucharist. The soldier pierced the Lord’s side, he breached the wall of the sacred temple, and I have found the treasure and made it my own. So also with the lamb: the Jews sacrificed the victim and I have been saved by it.

“There flowed from his side water and blood”. Beloved, do not pass over this mystery without thought; it has yet another hidden meaning, which I will explain to you. I said that water and blood symbolized baptism and the Holy Eucharist. From these two sacraments the Church is born: from baptism, “the cleansing water that gives rebirth and renewal through the Holy Spirit”, and from the Holy Eucharist. Since the symbols of baptism and the Eucharist flowed from his side, it was from his side that Christ fashioned the Church, as he had fashioned Eve from the side of Adam Moses gives a hint of this when he tells the story of the first man and makes him exclaim: “Bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh!” As God then took a rib from Adam’s side to fashion a woman, so Christ has given us blood and water from his side to fashion the Church. God took the rib when Adam was in a deep sleep, and in the same way Christ gave us the blood and the water after his own death.

Do you understand, then, how Christ has united his bride to himself and what food he gives us all to eat? By one and the same food we are both brought into being and nourished. As a woman nourishes her child with her own blood and milk, so does Christ unceasingly nourish with his own blood those to whom he himself has given life.

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

ANTIPHON

Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel. Hosanna in the highest. (Matthew 21:9).

COLLECT

Almighty ever-living God,
Who as an example of humility for
the human race to follow
caused our Savior to take flesh
and submit to the Cross,
graciously grant that we may heed
His lesson of patient suffering
and so merit a share in His Resurrection.
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? (Psalm 22:2).

SCRIPTURE EXCERPT

“The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" There were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome. These women had followed him when he was in Galilee and ministered to him. There were also many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem. (Mark 15:38-41).””

REFLECTION

The Scrutinies have been celebrated. The Creed and the Lord’s Prayer have been handed-over to the Elect. The faithful have responded in Grace to the Gospel imperatives of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. All is ready for the difficult journey from palm waving, to a Meal that has some twists and turns, to arrest - abandonment - excruciating pain - and death. The Body of Christ is ready for the journey to Calvary. But is each member of the Body ready?

Throughout the Gospels there is a constant tension between Christology and discipleship: Who Jesus is and the claim He sounds to follow Him. This is not an invitation to embrace an ideology or a particular philosophical outlook on life. His words and deeds, expressions of His very being, are meant to elicit a relationship, a commitment, a bonding with and to Him. As each Gospel unfolds, we are immersed in the drama of fellow human beings saying yes to this relationship, some no and far more remaining lukewarm: no commitment whatsoever, just hanging out on the sidelines like a spectator.

As the Marcan account of the Lord’s Passion seeks its way into our hearts this Sunday, the fidelity of the God-man Jesus stands in sharp contrast to disciples who one-by-one, leave Him alone and abandoned. There are some flickers of hope: an anonymous woman and yes – to a degree – Peter himself, not to mention an anonymous outsider: a Roman centurion. In a loving gesture that speaks to both His death and His messianic Kingship, Jesus is anointed with perfume. She ‘gets it.’ She knows Jesus as Messianic King whose Kingship is born from the dregs of death. Peter, known far and wide for the thrice denial of His friend, does follow Jesus in His Passion, but does so “at a distance” and apparently “at a distance” has an unfortunate limit. But then there is the Centurion – a gentile – who comes to faith and boldly proclaims: “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

These sacred days known as Holy Week are offered to us as a gift to experience deeply the authentic identity of the Crucified Son of God and our commitment to Him as one of His disciples. To this end, the words of a fourth-century Cappadocian Father are well worth pondering:

“If you are a Simon of Cyrene, take up your cross and follow Christ. If you are crucified beside him like one of the thieves, now, like the good thief, acknowledge your God. For your sake, and because of your sin, Christ himself was regarded as a sinner; for his sake, therefore, you must cease to sin. Worship him who was hung on the cross because of you, even if you are hanging there yourself. Derive some benefit from the very shame; purchase salvation with your death. Enter paradise with Jesus, and discover how far you have fallen. Contemplate the glories there, and leave the other scoffing thief to die outside in his blasphemy.

If you are a Joseph of Arimathea, go to the one who ordered his crucifixion, and ask for Christ’s body. Make you own the expiation for the sins of the whole world. If you are a Nicodemus, like the man who worshiped God by night, bring spices and prepare Christ’s body for burial. If you are one of the Marys, or Salome, or Joanna, weep in the early morning. Be the first to see the stone rolled back, and even the angels perhaps, and Jesus himself (Gregory of Nazianzus, Oratio 45).”

Lent, the Fourth Week

ANTIPHON (For the Second Scrutiny)

My eyes are always on the Lord, for He rescues my feet from the snare. Turn to me and have mercy on me, for I am alone and poor. (Psalm 25:15-16).

COLLECT (For the Second Scrutiny)

Almighty ever-living God,
give to Your Church an increase in spiritual joy,
so that those once born of earth
may be reborn as citizens of heaven.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (For the Second Scrutiny)

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. (Psalm 23:1).

SCRIPTURE EXCERPT (For the Second Scrutiny)

“When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe (πιστεύεις, pisteueis) in the Son of Man?” He answered and said,  “Who is he, sir, that I may believe (πιστεύσω, pisteuso) in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “I do believe (πιστεύω, pisteuo), Lord (κύριε, kyrie),” and he worshiped him (καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ, kai prosekunesen auto). Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind (John 9:35-41).””

REFLECTION (For the Second Scrutiny)

There are a number of sights and sounds that present and reinforce the Season of Lent. Ashes signal Lent’s beginning. Communal fasting and abstaining from food mark a number of Lenten days. Devotions such as Stations of the Cross and other Lenten prayers focus mind, heart and body on Our Savior’s Passion and Death. Individual resolutions to sacrifice along with acts of mortification help to detach us from all that is not necessary so as to have room to receive all that is necessary for life. Is there anything missing in the list? Certainly – the Rites that characterize Lent as a period of purification and enlightenment.

A person’s life journey that has drawn her or him to inquire about the ‘good things of God’ gently stirred the Gift of Faith to the point of listening to the Word of God as a catechumen. In listening to the Word, the catechumen discovered and was attracted to the Word-made-flesh Who offers water to not only refresh life’s aridity, but to slake the thirst for an eternity of Divine life and love with Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the Communion of Saints. Gratefully and humbly, the catechumen accepted the gift and invitation to be chosen; to be elected, to permit his or her life to be immersed in and configured to the One Who is Light shining in the darkness of chaos, confusion, uncertainty and sin. He Who is Light leads the way and reveals true life, for He is Life.

The journey then to Resurrection in Baptism-Confirmation-Holy Eucharist is a pivotal sight and sound of Lent. In fact, one might contend that the penitential aspect and practices of Lent make sense only within a Baptismal context – Initiation for the Elect, renewal of Baptismal Promised at Easter for the faithful. This point comes into sharper focus with the celebrations of the Scrutinies on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent. “The Scrutinies are Rites for self-searching and repentance and have above all a spiritual purpose. The Scrutinies are meant to uncover, then heal all that is weak, defective or sinful in the hearts of the Elect; to bring out, then strengthen all that is upright, strong and good (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 141).” But here is where many faithful experience a disconnect and loose sight of Lent’s baptismal character. Some would hold that while these Rites may be important for an unbaptized person,it really does not pertain to me. Once again, the wisdom of the Church instructs us: the Rites are to be celebrated “in such a way that the faithful in the assembly will also derive benefit from the Liturgy of the Scrutinies and join in intercessions for the Elect. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 145).” In other words, these Rites have benefit for all of us: the Elect and the Faithful. We are all in this together as members of One Body.

Consequently, as the Scrutinies are celebrated, “the celebrant first addresses the assembly of the faithful, inviting them to pray in silence and to ask that the Elect will be given a spirit of repentance, a sense of sin, and the true freedom of the children of God. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 166).” Here is Lent in a nutshell: spirit of repentance, a sense of sin and freedom of the children of God. But notice, we are asked to pray and to ask that these be given. A “spirit of repentance,” “a sense of sin” and “freedom of the children of God” are not products of our making. This is 1 of the points of Jesus’ dealings with the man-born-blind and all of the other characters connected to him. Left to ourselves, we have no “sense of sin.” Left to ourselves, “a spirit of repentance” is a nothing more than meager attempt to fix a relationship on my terms so that I can get something out of it. Left to ourselves, there is no “freedom of the children of God” only license to indulge whatever impulse strikes our fancy that results in sucking us deeper into a black hole of addictive slavery to the self and all of its wants.

“A spirit of repentance” (see last week’s blog entry on metanoia), “a sense of sin” and “freedom of the children of God” are gifts given that reveal our lives in the light of the Father’s mercy, not our own. We are, admittedly, blind to many aspects of our own weaknesses and sins. Repeatedly we make excuses like so many in this Sunday’s Gospel episode. As contemporary listeners to the events that Jesus is dealing with, we might be tempted to smirk at the lengths people went to in order to deny the healing of blindness. Yet we do the same by rationalizing behaviors or referring to specific sins as ‘developmental challenges’ characteristic of 1 of life’s many phases. The Scrutinies do challenge us to allow Divine Light to shine into all aspects of life so that sin may not rule life and keep anyone from all that is upright, strong and good in the Lord.

LENT — The Lord’s Day — Week 3: Sunday Pondering Jesus’ victorious Word

ANTIPHON (For the First Scrutiny)

Come to the waters, you who are thirsty, says the Lord; you who have no money, come and drink joyfully. (Isaiah 55:1).

COLLECT (For the First Scrutiny)

Grant, we pray, O Lord
that these chosen ones may come worthily and wisely
to the confession of Your praise,
so that in accordance with that first dignity
which they lost by Original Sin
they may be fashioned anew through your glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (For the First Scrutiny)

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. (Psalm 95:8).

SCRIPTURE EXCERPT (For the First Scrutiny)

“Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in Him. When the Samaritans came to Him, they invited Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in Him because of His word, and they said to the woman, "We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world. (John 4:39-42)”

REFLECTION

Many Sunday reflections that appear on this blog take their cue from a word or two contained in the particular Sunday’s proclamation. Given the possibility that you may listen to God’s Word from a different Lectionary cycle this Sunday because of the First Scrutiny, I thought it appropriate to offer the following that will express a common insight among the Readings from the current Lectionary cycle (B) [and cycle C as well], Lectionary cycle A, the First Scrutiny and the Season of Lent.

A few weeks ago, ashes were imposed as the Gospel imperative was sounded before our very eyes: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” That same imperative had been proclaimed weeks earlier on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent (μετανοεῖτε, metanoeite), and believe (πιστεύετε, pisteuete) in the Gospel (Mark 1:14-15).” These form Jesus’ first commandments and first actions in light of the announcement of the Kingdom (Reign) of God. Because the Kingdom of God is at hand, repenting and believing are not only appropriate actions, they are imperatives for the disciples of Jesus.

What can be said about repenting and believing? Volumes. On one hand, the fact that much can be said about repenting and believing is a good thing. There are all sorts of ways that the Lord draws us to Himself and we certainly want to be careful about any improper human restrictions on the Father’s mercy, forgiveness and the ways of believing. Yet on the other hand, because much can be said about repenting and believing, our language concerning these often degenerates to the point of using repenting to describe repenting because we really find it hard to express a core meaning. Along these lines there is also the concern of a meaning or description’s depth. Sometimes our approach to biblical challenges is superficial and surface-level; sometimes due to sloth but other times due to a lack of knowledge of a biblical word’s meaning in the context of the Sacred Text.

The command μετανοεῖτε is a compound of the Greek prefix μετα (meta, “beyond”) and the Greek noun νοος (noos, “mind”). Literally, μετάνοια is “going beyond the mind” suggesting an action “from the heart.” This is certainly the way of living that the Divine Lawgiver had in mind when the Decalogue was offered to the Chosen People (Year B readings). The 10 prescriptions of the Covenant were not intended to be a mindless checklist of do’s and don’ts that ‘earned points with God,’ but a norm for experiencing true peace and happiness lived from the heart. The season of Lent is not a time of begrudgingly ‘giving something up’ because it is Lent and that’s what I have always done. Lent’s echo of Jesus’ command to embrace μετάνοια is a summons to live the Kingdom from the heart. The woman of Samaria certainly undergoes μετάνοια as she is drawn from an attitude of hostility and indifference towards Jesus to becoming an evangelizer herself. In the Prayer over the Elect (First Scrutiny), the Church prays that each opens his/her heart to the Lord.

As important as “from the heart” is in exploring the depth of μετάνοια, I was fortunate to stumble upon a description of μετάνοια years ago put forth by the Jesuit philosopher-theologian, Bernard Lonergan in his work, Method in Theology. Over the years, I have – with due respect and deference to Fr Lonergan – tailored the description in view of additional patristic and theological insights. With that in mind, I have found the following helpful as a starting point to ponder Jesus’ summons to His followers:

μετάνοια is a Grace initiated and sustained response to the Kingdom of God that is a radical transformation actively engaging all dimensions and levels of human living. μετάνοια consciously acknowledges that life is an interlocking and interdependent series of changes and developments expressive of relational living with God, others, the true self and all of creation. μετάνοια further involves transforming apprehensions (how one sees the world), sensitizing conscience and moral criteria (values) all as a continuous straining forward to receive the ‘call up’ from God the Father in Christ Jesus Our Lord through the Grace of the Holy Spirit.

Yes there is much to ponder in the description of what seems is to be simple and “from the heart.” Yet the affects and effects of Original Sin often limit what we think needs to be done in terms of repenting … if I just change this or change that – I will be fine, I will be done. The truth is that this side of the grave the work of μετάνοια is never done. As the Lord’s Grace leads us onward and upward, μετάνοια is an affirmation not only of transformation that needs to occur, but more so the discovery of abundant riches of the Father’s loving mercy poured into our lives as Gift.

International Theological Commission Document

“In the wake of its document In Search of a Universal Ethic: A New Look at Natural Law (2009), the International Theological Commission, as part of its work of assisting the Holy See, and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in particular, to examine more important doctrinal questions, has today (8 March 2012) issued a new English-language document, entitled Theology Today: Perspectives, Principles and Criteria. It will be published on the International Theological Commission’s page on the Vatican website (www.vatican.va) and in the CNS documentary service Origins, as well as on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. An Italian translation will shortly appear in La Civiltà Cattolica and translations into other major languages are also planned.

Work on the document began during the quinquennium (2004-2008) in the sub-commission headed by Father Santiago del Cura Elena. The text was drafted in the light of studies undertaken during the current quinquennium in the sub-commission headed by Msgr. Paul McPartlan.

The document examines a number of contemporary theological issues and sets forth, in light of the foundational principles of theology, methodological criteria which must be considered decisive for Catholic theology vis-à-vis other related disciplines, such as the religious sciences. The text is divided into three chapters: theology presupposes attentive listening to the word of God accepted in faith (chapter 1); it is practised in communion with the Church (chapter 2); and its aim is to ground a scientific approach to God’s truth within a horizon of authentic wisdom (chapter 3).”

Go to the document

Lent, Week 2

ANTIPHON

Of You my heart has spoken: Seek His face. It is Your face, O Lord, that I seek; hide not Your face from me. (Psalm 27:8-9).

COLLECT

O God, who have commanded us
to listen to Your beloved Son,
be pleased, we pray,
to nourish us inwardly by your word,
that, with spiritual sight made pure,
we may rejoice to behold Your glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living. (Psalm 116:9).

SCRIPTURE EXCERPT

“Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured (μετεμορφώθη, metemorphothe) before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.” (Mark 9:2-3)”

REFLECTION

As with many episodes of Jesus’ Public Ministry that are proclaimed each Sunday, it helps to know what preceded a particular event to provide a context. Such is the case in Seasons such as Lent when the Gospel proclamation is not sequential from week to week.

Many scholars note Mark 8:22 through 10:52 is a particular unit within this Gospel. It opens in 8:22 with the healing of a blind man and closes in 10:52 with sight restored to another blind man, suggesting a lesson about disciples learning to see properly. Many key and challenging teachings of Jesus regarding Kingdom living are sounded in this part of the Gospel according to Mark, not the least of which are three specific teachings on Jesus’ impending passion, death and resurrection that elicits various responses from disciples who, at this point in their lives, are apparently blind to Kingdom living. Just before the transfiguring events atop a high mountain, Jesus taught his disciples at Caesarea Philippi: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” After this, 3 of the 12: Peter, James and John are led apart to follow Jesus up a high mountain.

One might consider that the events atop the high mountain were an extension of Jesus’ words and teaching at Caesarea Philippi. His disciples, especially in Mark, rarely if ever ‘get it.’ The disciples, at least at this point in their lives, have senses that are still rather dull to the demands of Jesus and the demands of Kingdom living. Many events in Jesus’ Public Ministry are punctuated by the disciples’ lack of understanding. Since they apparently did not ‘get it’ with His words, perhaps a visual coupled with His words would help.

Against this backdrop, Jesus’ Transfiguration is a glimpse of glory. Jesus’ “changed form (μεταμορφόω, meta [change, go beyond] and morphe [form, shape])” gave Peter, James and John a foretaste or a preview of the Cross’ purpose. The Cross is the necessary path to Kingdom glory. Why? For one reason, the Cross is the definitive antidote to selfishness that lies at the heart of all sin. “Missing the mark (the literal meaning of the Hebrew hatta which eventually is translated into English as sin)” is all about the 3 most disordered persons in the universe: me, myself and I. The addiction to the self is powerful and goes back to the Garden when we were bold enough to attempt grasping at being God.

This is one reason why today’s celebration of the Penitential Rite for those entering the Church this Easter is so appropriate. In the Rite, we pray that the Candidates (and all of us!) may come to know those areas of life that need to be transfigured by the Lord’s grace. It is not easy. We like the attachment to ourselves yet when we get of glimpse of the glory that lies ahead, the penitential work of Lent takes on a whole new meaning.

Ordinary Time, Week 7

ANTIPHON

O Lord, I trust in Your merciful love. My heart will rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord Who has been bountiful with me. (Psalm 13:6).

COLLECT

Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that, always pondering spiritual things,
we may carry out in both word and deed
that which is pleasing to you.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Lord, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.. (Psalm 41:5).

SCRIPTURE EXCERPT

“Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven (ἀφίενταί),’ or to say, ‘Rise (ἔγειρε), pick up your mat and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” – he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go (ὕπαγε) home.” He rose (ἔγειρε), picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this (Mark 2:6-12).”

REFLECTION

What does it mean to forgive? Initially, one may wonder the point of the question. After all, everyone knows what it means to forgive, correct? When we tackle some of these essential experiences of Christianity in the classroom, I normally begin by asking – in this case – ‘has anyone not heard the term forgiveness?’ Normally, if a hand goes up, it is normally 1 or 2. The vast majority has heard the term. So I ask then, ‘what does the term mean?’ The students often are puzzled and the silence is broken by a comment, ‘I never really thought much about the meaning of forgiveness.’ Those who proffer a response general equate forgiveness with either forgetting or pretending that the hurt never occurred and somehow life moves on. At that point it is time to turn to the Sacred Text for instruction and formation in the ways of forgiveness.

The Greek verb “to forgive (ἀφίημι aphíēmi)” is a word synonymous with motion often conveyed as an imperative, urgent motion. Scholars note various English translations such as “to send away,” “to send forth,” “to go” or “to hurl along” noting a common underlying action of releasing that which (or who) was bound. This suggests, implicitly, that when the word of forgiveness is pronounced, it is hurled into a condition that has diminished or ceased moving. This line of understanding is supported by the Gospel episode of this pre-Lenten Sunday who presents a man incapable of self-locomotion. Whatever has paralyzed him also has arrested his ability to move, to mention only 1 dilemma in his life. A mat supports his motionless body. Friends are his only means of travel; an image interestingly used by the Fathers of the Church as a metaphor for the Body of Christ, the Church.

ἀφίημι (aphíēmi)’s varied translation into English with an underlying sense of “to release,” suggests another facet in the discussion of motion that has halted. “To release” suggests an inability to move despite an intention or desire to do so. No doubt, the paralytic who was brought to Jesus long desired the use of his legs to walk. Yet as with so many things in life, desire is not effective. Desire, while important and certainly helpful in dealing with various maladies in life, does not cause – in and of itself – the intended action. Something else has to be done for motion to occur. This reminds me of a colleague who worked on an aircraft carrier. He told me once how he watched the jet fighters taking-off from the flight deck. The aircraft was positioned. The nose wheel was engaged to the catapult. The engines were ignited and even though they generated mind-boggling amounts of thrust in an instant, the jet did not move. Only when the catapult was fired was the jet released to be hurled forth from the deck. On its own, the fighter jet was incapable of generating enough speed to fly off the deck. Something external had to intervene for the jet to move (to fly) as it was intended.

Sin (Hebrew: hatta, “to miss the mark”) whether we are conscious of it or not causes movement in life to slow down, and at times, to stop. For the Christian, life as motion is not activity that is haphazard, self-directed or chaotic. In his Letter to the Philippians, Saint Paul saw Christian living as a continuous straining forward made possible by the attractive call and love of Jesus Christ. Sin erects barriers to that attracting love that gradually slows-down or even halts any travel to the One Who is Love. The danger of this is the fact that in the created world, if we are not moving or growing towards Someone the laws of entropy – even spiritual entropy – take over. Movement towards Love when halted becomes chaos. Within chaos there is no power for cosmos or order. All that one can do is be receptive to the pronouncement of a Creative Word: “I forgive you.” Such loving power releases one from what would otherwise be a death-spiral and enables one to be sent forth on the path of love to the One Who is Love.

Ordinary Time, Week 4

ANTIPHON

Save us O Lord our God! And gather us from the nations, to give thanks to Your holy name, and make it our glory to praise You. (Psalm 106:47).

COLLECT

Grant us, Lord our God,
that we may honor You with all our mind,
and love everyone in truth of heart.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. (Psalm 95:8).

SCRIPTURE EXCERPT

“Then they came to Capernaum, and on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority (ἐξουσίαν, exousian) and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked (ἐπετίμησεν, epetimesen) him and said (λέγων legon), “Quiet (φιμώθητι, phimotheti)! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority (ἐξουσίαν, exousian). He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey (ὑπακούουσιν, hupakouousin) him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee (Mark 1:21-28).”

Ordinary Time, Week 3

ANTIPHON

O sing a new song to the Lord; sing to the Lord, all the earth. In His presence are majesty and splendor, strength and honor in his holy place. (Cf. Psalm 96:1, 5).

COLLECT

Almighty ever-living God,
direct our actions according to Your good pleasure,
that in the Name of Your beloved Son
we may abound in good works.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Teach me your ways, O Lord. (Psalm 25:4).

SCRIPTURE EXCERPT

“After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming (κηρύσσων) the gospel of God (τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ): “This is the time (ὁ καιρὸς) of fulfillment (πεπλήρωται). The kingdom of God (ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ) is at hand (ἤγγικεν). Repent (μετανοεῖτε), and believe (πιστεύετε) in the gospel (ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ).” (Mark 1:14-15).”

REFLECTION

What is the “Kingdom of God (ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ, hē basileia tou Theou)?” Where is the “Kingdom of God?” Is the “Kingdom of God” just another word or synonym in the Gospels for Heaven? “The Kingdom of God” sparks many questions and rightly so. When searching the Gospels for “Kingdom of God” or “Kingdom of Heaven (which appears more often in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew),” one is amazed by the numerous references. Throughout the centuries, believers have pondered the meaning and implications of “the Kingdom of God” and scholars certainly have grappled with the phrase and filled library shelves with volumes of thought-provoking commentaries.

What can and must we do with the reality of “the Kingdom” in our day? In 1975, Pope Paul VI penned the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (On Evangelizing in our Day). Early in the Exhortation, the Bishop of Rome states: “As an evangelizer, Christ first of all proclaims a kingdom, the kingdom of God; and this is so important that, by comparison, everything else becomes “the rest,” which is “given in addition.” Only the kingdom therefore is absolute and it makes everything else relative. The Lord will delight in describing in many ways the happiness of belonging to this kingdom (a paradoxical happiness which is made up of things that the world rejects), the demands of the kingdom and its Magna Charta, the heralds of the kingdom, its mysteries, its children, the vigilance and fidelity demanded of whoever awaits its definitive coming (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 8).” Clearly, Pope Paul VI sees “the Kingdom of God” has the central experience of Jesus’ Public Ministry; so central that everything in His ministry is grounded in “the Kingdom.” Similarly, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraphs 541 through 556) examines the manifold depth of “the Kingdom” in Jesus’ Public Ministry. Based on these texts as well as other Catechetical Documents, the Roman Missal and the Sacred Scriptures, I have compiled a working description (note: not a definition) of “the Kingdom of God” that has been helpful to undergraduates, deacon candidates, seminarians and believers. There is certainly much room for discussion and I invite readers of this blog to further this discussion and description.

1. ‘The “Kingdom of God” is God the Father doing a definitive intervention.’ The Kingdom is not necessarily or strictly a specific place, although ‘place’ will be a dimension of the Kingdom as a way of living. The Kingdom is a way of living, an ongoing activity initiated by God the Father in loving concern for beings that have been created in His image and likeness. We have become addicted to sin in such a way that we cannot break free from its grip by our own power. We have come to enjoy sin too much. Sin’s tentacles have woven deeply into our lives that often we cannot see or think clearly. We may from time-to-time have great desires to rid ourselves of sin, desires that are marvelous but desires that do not contain within themselves the power to effect what is desired. More often than not, however, sin has dulled our senses to Divine Love. Sin has numbed us into complacency and entitlement to the point that we even approach the things of God and Church from a selfish point of view with no regard to the life of faith as engagement with the Divine Persons who call me as an individual and as a community to ongoing conversion manifesting charity and service to the Body of Christ. So powerless over sin, so addicted to the false self we have become that an intervention is needed: the “Kingdom of God.”

2. This intervention is a work of power, a power that transforms and surpasses the power of Creation. God the Father’s work is quintessentially a work of restoration, not annihilation. Ask anyone in construction and he or she will tell you that it is often easier to raze a building and start over than to renovate or restore. Renovating an existing structure that does not have a level, plumb or square line in it makes restoration tedious and time consuming, not to mention the ‘surprises’ lurking behind old plaster and lathe. Yet ask any restorer when the project is complete and most likely she or he will tell you that in spite of its challenges and frustrations, it was and continues to be a labor of love. Such is the Kingdom. Neither Creation nor humanity is destroyed. The Creator does not raze the created order and begin anew. Even though humanity makes continuous choices reinforcing the addiction to sin, the Father – with eyes of loves – gazes upon each human person in such a way that each of us are declared “precious.” So precious are we in the sight of God the Father, that none of us are disposable, expendable or useless. Each of us has a particular vocation in the Father’s plan of salvation and our very being is so precious to the Father that the loving, transforming power of His Kingdom calls us from the addiction to our false selves to our true selves as icons of the Father’s love.

3. This transforming power becomes a way of living, hence not a specific ‘place’ that one can absolutely pinpoint. You cannot use Google Maps or a GPS device to find the Kingdom. The Kingdom is God the Father’s way of living. It is a way of living that is the Son, Jesus. He lives each moment of His life attentive to His Father’s word and will. Spending nights in communion with His Father, Jesus teaches with His life that Kingdom living is living joined, connected, related – whatever words you wish to use – to God the Father. As a way of living, the Kingdom is a radical embrace of the First Commandment: no one nor no thing nor anything we deem important comes before the Father or interferes with our relationship with Him. Kingdom living is life that provides the essentials to a sister or brother in need (Matthew 25) and celebrates, praise and thanks the Father for all that He is doing in life (cf. Luke 1, the Magnificat). It is in this sense that one can speak of the Kingdom as ‘a place.’ Wherever one is when living as the Father commands, there is the Kingdom.

4. The Kingdom, as a way of living, has been prepared by the prophets of Old. Many of the prophets called Israel to authentic worship, a message that is still quite valid despite present, misguided and weak arguments that attempt – erroneously – at a division between religion and spirituality. For the prophets, the spiritual relationship formed by the covenant necessarily bound one (religion) freely to observe and practice a continuous, ongoing change-of-heart. The prophets knew that the ‘energy’ required to live justly as a covenant person did not come from within a person by himself or herself. Such living depended upon the mercy of God celebrated and experienced in authentic worship. Such worship then propelled one to be an instrument of charitable service in the world acting, not on one’s own initiative and power, in the name of God.

5. The Kingdom, as a way of living, is now definitely revealed and embodied in Jesus. Here, all ambiguity concerning the Kingdom is erased. The Kingdom is essentially a Person, the Person Jesus: “only He can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 426).” The Incarnation makes the Kingdom a reality in the created order to effect the Father’s loving transformation of everything, most especially the human heart. Responding and living the love revealed to us in Christ Jesus is the essential work and live of the “Kingdom of God.”

Is there more to be said about the Kingdom? Certainly – but more importantly the Kingdom is not intended for study but for living. While some of these reflections (as well as other aspects of Mark 1:14-15 will be discussed in time) may give us some insight, such insight is always directed to charitable service in the name of Jesus Christ.

ORDINARY TIME Week 2: Sunday

ANTIPHON

All the earth shall bow down before You, O God, and shall sing to You, shall sing to Your Name, O Most High! (Psalm 66:4).

COLLECT

Almighty ever-living God,
Who govern all things,
both in heaven and on earth,
mercifully hear the pleading of Your people
and bestow Your peace on our times.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. (Psalm 40:8a and 9a).

SCRIPTURE EXCERPT

“John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched (ἐμβλέψας, emblepsas) Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold (ἴδε), the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard (ἤκουσαν, ekousan) what he said and followed (ἠκολούθησαν, ekolouthesan) Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” – which translated means Teacher – , “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see (ὄψεσθε, opsesthe).”” (John 1:35-39).”

REFLECTION

The episode proclaimed this Sunday requires the context of the preceding verses. Following the Prologue (1:1-18), the Gospel presents John the Baptist responding to questions concerning his identity. Religious leaders certainly know his name, but the questions indicate that many people are beginning to think that there is more to John than what they see. John clearly knows who he is: a voice that prepares and baptizes with water. He clearly and confidently knows he is not a prophet, Elijah nor the Messiah. Yet in addition to the actions of “crying out” and ‘baptizing with water,’ John does something else: he recognizes Jesus (“Behold, ἴδε, ide”) and proclaims Him “Lamb of God (verses 29 and 36).” In verse 29, “Lamb of God” is equated with ‘taking away [literally, ‘lifting above and away from the ground’]’ the “sin of the world.” Prior to both proclamations that Jesus is “Lamb of God,” the biblical text says that John “sees (βλέπει) Jesus (29)” and “watched (ἐμβλέψας) Jesus (36).”

What does it mean “to see (βλέπω, blepo)” the way John the Baptist sees? The text is clear, John sees Jesus and sees Him as “Lamb of God.” To see (βλέπω, blepo) in this case means more than just visual correspondence. In fact, the Gospels often employ βλέπω (blepo) when “seeing” goes deeper than surface appearance and engages a gaze onto and into the deepest dimensions of life. This way of seeing then involves more than just human biology and the physics of optics. Gospel seeing, βλέπω (blepo), is a gazing that essentially is a gift and work of Grace. It is a seeing that can be expressed, ‘understanding as God sees.’ Interestingly, the Gospels do not employ βλέπω (blepo) prior to faith; βλέπω (blepo) appears as a way of acting following or building on faith. For John, this graced way of seeing or understanding is placed in the service of faith. John’s ability to see is not rooted in himself nor in his own skills. As a grace received, John is able “to see” Jesus in a particular way for the purpose of giving voice and announcing Who Jesus is that others may come to faith.

For a person ‘coming to faith,’ seeing is neither the principle activity nor the means of faith. If we take faith to mean ‘a relationship between and among persons sparked by an encounter,’ then “hearing” is the essential biblical activity that leads to and sparks faith. This is the pattern in the account proclaimed this Sunday. John, who is blessed “to see,” gives voice to Who he sees in such a way that the other disciples “hear.” When they “hear,” they follow. Jesus then promises to those who follow, “you will see (ὄψεσθε, opsesthe).” ὄψεσθε, from the Greek verb ὁράω (orao), is another of the many Greek verbs often translated "seeing." ὁράω (orao), similar to βλέπω (blepo) is a ‘seeing’ that involves far more than a physical deciphering of light's properties to form an image in the mind. ὁράω (orao) expresses a deep perception that ‘sees‘ not only life‘s big questions, but attempts to make connections on a level beyond mere human logical and practicality. Like βλέπω (blepo), ὁράω (orao) is not grounded in human initiative, technique or skill. ὁράω (orao) is a graced activity that comes only by “hearing” a Person Who does not give all the answers up front but simply invites all to “come and you will see.”