He who truly loves his neighbor and can not efficaciously assist him, should strive at least to relieve and help him by his prayers.
- St. Teresa
_______________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
Monday, November 26, 2007
Meditation for November 27, Fear
It is not at all impossible that at the prospect of certain serious events fear assails me.
Not that I doubt the victory of God, whatever happens. I know well that He is Master, that He will remain so eternally; I have faith and hope.
It is only that I am not yet generous enough to endure the suffering entailed in the gift of my life, if it were necessary.
It is not that I imagine for one moment that God could abandon me, or that His fidelity, by any chance, would grow weary.
But without my wishing it, I am not at peace. After all, what if such and such an event does occur? Such a thing has happened before. It can happen again. And again I am the prey of worry.
After a sort of retreat a Protestant wrote to conquer his fear: "Fear, fear! Fear! Just for the sake of curiosity let us look back at the end of a week and calculate the nervous energy spent in anticipating troubles and accidents which could happen to us. Many people employ a great part of their conscious life in suffering through presentiment, anticipation, in creating worries for themselves out of trifles, which may or may not happen to them."
What should I do, then? Trust myself to God, frequently renewing acts of calm, resolute submission to the ineffable Power which leads and controls the world.
"O Lord, I believe that You hold all in Your hands; that nothing can happen to me that You have not wished or permitted, that not a hair can fall from my head if You do not allow it. I abandon myself to You, infinite sovereignty and wish to live at peace. I plunge myself into the infinite calm of Your Omnipotence and of Your all-embracing Love. The blacker the sky the more truly will You be my only Star."
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Not that I doubt the victory of God, whatever happens. I know well that He is Master, that He will remain so eternally; I have faith and hope.
It is only that I am not yet generous enough to endure the suffering entailed in the gift of my life, if it were necessary.
It is not that I imagine for one moment that God could abandon me, or that His fidelity, by any chance, would grow weary.
But without my wishing it, I am not at peace. After all, what if such and such an event does occur? Such a thing has happened before. It can happen again. And again I am the prey of worry.
After a sort of retreat a Protestant wrote to conquer his fear: "Fear, fear! Fear! Just for the sake of curiosity let us look back at the end of a week and calculate the nervous energy spent in anticipating troubles and accidents which could happen to us. Many people employ a great part of their conscious life in suffering through presentiment, anticipation, in creating worries for themselves out of trifles, which may or may not happen to them."
What should I do, then? Trust myself to God, frequently renewing acts of calm, resolute submission to the ineffable Power which leads and controls the world.
"O Lord, I believe that You hold all in Your hands; that nothing can happen to me that You have not wished or permitted, that not a hair can fall from my head if You do not allow it. I abandon myself to You, infinite sovereignty and wish to live at peace. I plunge myself into the infinite calm of Your Omnipotence and of Your all-embracing Love. The blacker the sky the more truly will You be my only Star."
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Cardinals called "to give your own lives for the Church"
VATICAN CITY, NOV 25, 2007 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica at 10.30 a.m. today, Solemnity of Christ the King, the Pope presided at a Eucharistic concelebration with the 23 new cardinals created in yesterday's consistory. During the course of the ceremony he presented them with their ring of office.
In his homily, the Holy Father affirmed that the crucified Christ represents "the maximum possible revelation in this world of God's love, because God is love and Jesus' death on the cross is the greatest act of love in all of history." In this context he recalled the fact that the crucifixion is depicted on the cardinal's ring of office. "This for you," he told the neo- cardinals, "will be a permanent invitation to remember what King you serve, to what throne He was raised, and how He remained faithful unto the end to triumph over sin and death with the power of divine mercy.
"The Mother Church, bride of Christ," he added, "gives you this token in remembrance of her Bridegroom, Who loved her and gave Himself for her. Thus, by wearing the cardinal's ring, you are constantly reminded to give your own lives for the Church..."
Save the planet, kill a baby!
California Catholic Daily has a report on fanatical environmentalism off the tracks of rational thinking...
Sierra Club joins Planned Parenthood to offer conferences on “Sex and the Environment”
Sierra Club joins Planned Parenthood to offer conferences on “Sex and the Environment”
Celebrating Christ’s Advent by Archbishop Raymond Burke
On Sunday, December 2nd next, we begin our annual observance of the Season of Advent. During the Season of Advent, the Church draws our attention to the most fundamental reality of our life: eternal salvation in Jesus Christ. Advent draws our minds and hearts to the truth that God the Son has been made man, has taken our human nature, in order: 1) to save us from our sins and their fruit, eternal death; and 2)to win for us the inheritance of true sons and daughters of God, that is, the inheritance of eternal life.PDF Version from the St Louis Archdiocesan website
The all-glorious reality which captures our attention and inspires our wonder during the Season of Advent is the coming of Jesus Christ, God the Son Incarnate, into the world. The reality is greater than we can ever fully comprehend. Our annual observance of Advent keeps our eyes fixed on the truth which is fundamental to our everyday life in Christ, the truth that God the Son has come into the world and remains with us always in the Church, above all, in the Sacraments.
If you wish some spiritual reading for the Season of Advent, I commend to you two books of Pope Benedict XVI: God Is Near Us: The Eucharist, the Heart of Life (Ignatius Press, 2003), and The Blessing of Christmas (Ignatius Press, 2007); and two books of the lay theologian John Saward: Redeemer in the Womb (Ignatius Press, 1993), and Cradle of Redeeming Love: The Theology of the Christmas Mystery (Ignatius Press, 2002).
A Eucharistic Season
Advent is, first of all, a Eucharistic season. When we recall, with wonder, Christ's coming into the world by His birth of Mary at Bethlehem, our hearts understand immediately the oneness of the manger, in which the Blessed Virgin Mary placed her Infant Son to rest, with the altar upon which our Lord comes down to be with us and the tabernacle in which he remains with us always...[continued here at Catholic Exchange, (html format)]
Why Benedict XVI Is So Cautious with the Letter of the 138 Muslims (Chiesa)
Gospel for Monday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Sylvester, abbot; St. Peter of Alexandria, bishop and martyr; St. John Berchmans, priest RM
From: Luke 21:1-4
The Widow's Mite
[1] He (Jesus) looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury; [2] and He saw a poor widow put in two copper coins. [3] And He said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; [4] for they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all the living she had."
____________________
Commentary:
1-4. Our Lord, surrounded by His disciples, watches people putting offerings into the treasury. This was a place in the women's courtyard, where there were various collection boxes for the offerings of the faithful. Just then, something happens whose significance Jesus wants His disciples to notice: a poor widow puts in two small coins, of very little value. He describes this as the greatest offering of all, praising the generosity of giving alms for this purpose, particularly that of those people who give part of what they need. Our Lord is moved by this tiny offering because in her case it implies a big sacrifice. "The Lord does not look", St. John Chrysostom comments, "at the amount offered but at the affection with which it is offered" ("Hom. on Heb", 1). Generosity is of the essence of almsgiving. This woman teaches us that we can move God's heart if we give Him all we can, which will always amount to very little even if we give our very lives. "How little a life is to offer to God!" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 42).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
From: Luke 21:1-4
The Widow's Mite
[1] He (Jesus) looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury; [2] and He saw a poor widow put in two copper coins. [3] And He said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; [4] for they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all the living she had."
____________________
Commentary:
1-4. Our Lord, surrounded by His disciples, watches people putting offerings into the treasury. This was a place in the women's courtyard, where there were various collection boxes for the offerings of the faithful. Just then, something happens whose significance Jesus wants His disciples to notice: a poor widow puts in two small coins, of very little value. He describes this as the greatest offering of all, praising the generosity of giving alms for this purpose, particularly that of those people who give part of what they need. Our Lord is moved by this tiny offering because in her case it implies a big sacrifice. "The Lord does not look", St. John Chrysostom comments, "at the amount offered but at the affection with which it is offered" ("Hom. on Heb", 1). Generosity is of the essence of almsgiving. This woman teaches us that we can move God's heart if we give Him all we can, which will always amount to very little even if we give our very lives. "How little a life is to offer to God!" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 42).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Just for Today, November 26
Thou shalt not labour here long, nor shalt thou be always oppressed with sorrows. Wait a little while, and thou shalt see a speedy end of all thy evils.
The hour will come when labour and trouble shall be no more. All is little and short which passeth away with time.
- Bk. III, ch. xlvii.
________________________________
I need to forget this world, Celine, where everything wearies me. I can find happiness only in suffering, a happiness which, though not felt, is above all earthly joys. This life is passing and eternity draws near, when we shall live by God's own life, and drink from the source of all bliss, after having tasted the cup of bitterness here below.
The fashion of this world passeth away (1 Cor. vii, 31), and we shall see new skies, the boundless seas and wide horizons bathed in the brightness of another sun. With our Heavenly Bridegroom we shall pass over the waters playing on our harps, that hung mute upon the willows (Ps. cxxxvi) in the Babylon of our exile, where we were once captives. Then we shall make melody with joyful hearts, whereas here we sat and wept when we remembered Sion. How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land (ibid.)?
- L.
__________________
For a List of Abbreviations, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
The hour will come when labour and trouble shall be no more. All is little and short which passeth away with time.
- Bk. III, ch. xlvii.
________________________________
I need to forget this world, Celine, where everything wearies me. I can find happiness only in suffering, a happiness which, though not felt, is above all earthly joys. This life is passing and eternity draws near, when we shall live by God's own life, and drink from the source of all bliss, after having tasted the cup of bitterness here below.
The fashion of this world passeth away (1 Cor. vii, 31), and we shall see new skies, the boundless seas and wide horizons bathed in the brightness of another sun. With our Heavenly Bridegroom we shall pass over the waters playing on our harps, that hung mute upon the willows (Ps. cxxxvi) in the Babylon of our exile, where we were once captives. Then we shall make melody with joyful hearts, whereas here we sat and wept when we remembered Sion. How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land (ibid.)?
- L.
__________________
For a List of Abbreviations, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
Thoughts and Counsels - November 26
The Church is the pillar and ground of truth, and her infallibility admits of no doubt.
-Ven. Louis de Granada
_________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
-Ven. Louis de Granada
_________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
Meditation for November 26, In Straitness of Times
Father de Foucauld wrote one day, "There is a fact related in Holy Scripture which we ought to remember, namely, that Jerusalem was constructed in angustia temporum (in strenuous times), in the midst of the era's misfortunes. We must work throughout our whole life in straitness of times. Trials are ever present; we cannot wait for the storm to pass in order to work in the calm. No, it is a normal condition that we encounter difficulties in accomplishing the good things that we wish to do amidst the evils of our days; we must count on it."
We cherish with everyone else the old dream that one fine day the Church will cease to be the Church militant and become the Church triumphant, even on earth. That would be so good! What zeal we would have for work!
To struggle always in the dark, to feel oneself surrounded by apprehensions, hostilities, persecutions, to continue forever the era of the catacombs when Christians went into the arena, to encounter on every side obstacles and suspicions, no possibility of rising higher; to see the most beautiful works compromised; to fear that dread misunderstanding might grow out of one's very best intentions--all of which causes stagnation or at least an apparent setback for the Church of God - isn't that enough to break one's spirit? It means perpetually starting over to accomplish a work which never stands complete; the cathedral of Christianity is hurled to the ground as soon as the walls rise a few yards above the foundations or attempt a more audacious advance towards the blue sky.
What is God doing, then?
What He must do; He gives us multiple occasions of patience; inviting us to self-examination (what is my stone of sanctity worth to the building?), incites us to generosity; confounds His enemies finally, because it is the specialty of God to create success with perpetual transformation. If God won at every turn, the Church would advance too fast and we would fall asleep.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
We cherish with everyone else the old dream that one fine day the Church will cease to be the Church militant and become the Church triumphant, even on earth. That would be so good! What zeal we would have for work!
To struggle always in the dark, to feel oneself surrounded by apprehensions, hostilities, persecutions, to continue forever the era of the catacombs when Christians went into the arena, to encounter on every side obstacles and suspicions, no possibility of rising higher; to see the most beautiful works compromised; to fear that dread misunderstanding might grow out of one's very best intentions--all of which causes stagnation or at least an apparent setback for the Church of God - isn't that enough to break one's spirit? It means perpetually starting over to accomplish a work which never stands complete; the cathedral of Christianity is hurled to the ground as soon as the walls rise a few yards above the foundations or attempt a more audacious advance towards the blue sky.
What is God doing, then?
What He must do; He gives us multiple occasions of patience; inviting us to self-examination (what is my stone of sanctity worth to the building?), incites us to generosity; confounds His enemies finally, because it is the specialty of God to create success with perpetual transformation. If God won at every turn, the Church would advance too fast and we would fall asleep.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Minneapolis Priest Refutes Archbishop Nienstadt
Archbishop Nienstadt wrote about "Four Points on the Church's Teaching about Homosexuality" a week or two ago...Apparently though, Church teaching on this subject is something which even some priests wrongly disgree - and there's not much point in having Catholic priests who preach their own Gospel - one that is opposed to the Church, especially in matters of faith and morals. From a rather timely email from Minnesota:
Father Leo Tibesar at his Minneapolis parish of Saint Frances Cabrini, directly refuted Bishop Nienstedt's anti-sodomy stance and lashed out at a few other Church officials.
Text of Father Tibesar's audio file:
HT to PC for the info!
2.2MB Audio file available...
Father Leo Tibesar at his Minneapolis parish of Saint Frances Cabrini, directly refuted Bishop Nienstedt's anti-sodomy stance and lashed out at a few other Church officials.Text of Father Tibesar's audio file:
What would Jesus say today if he were telling the parable in our Gospel of Luke?For more information, contact Father Leo Tibesar at (612) 339-3023.
4 versions:
First – two people came into Church to pray, one was a Border Patrol Agent who prayed – "I give you thanks oh God that I am not like others – greedy, dishonest, or like those on the run in order to make a living."
The other was a Mexican unlawful immigrant standing off to the side who prayed "Oh God, be merciful to me for leaving my family behind as I try to relieve their poverty by working in this country."
Jesus concluded – the last person went home more worthy in God's sight than the first.
Version 2:
Two people came into Church to pray, one was a Roman Catholic Cardinal in Charge of Church doctrine who prayed "I give you thanks oh God that I am not like others - greedy dishonest or like those living in Africa where AIDS is killing everyone even there we can never allow condoms to be used."
The other was an African widow dying of AIDS who stood off to the side and prayed "Oh God, be merciful to me for not refusing the advances of my husband without a condom, soon I will follow him to the grave and leave our six children orphans.
Jesus concluded – the last person went home more worthy in God's sight than the first.
Version 3:
Two people came into Church to pray, one was a Catholic Archbishop who refuses communion to Rainbow Sash people at the Cathedral on Pentecost Sunday who prayed " I give you thanks oh God that I am not like others – greedy, dishonest or like others who need to make their dissent from official Church teaching so public and divisive."
The other were Rainbow parents of GLBT people at the Cathedral on Pentecost who stood off on the side and prayed, "Oh God be merciful to us for failing to attend our own Churches more often; they say they love God then turn there backs on us in hate directly contrary to 1:John,4 – whoever loves God must also love the neighbor."
Jesus concluded the last ones went home more worthy in God's sight than the first.
Version 4:
Two people came into Church to pray. One was an Evangelical pastor whose regional services are broadcast nationally who prayed " I give you thanks oh God that I am not like others - greedy, dishonest or like others who give into same gender sex drives which the bible calls an abomination."
The others who came into Church to pray for a same sex couple raising children born by way of donor insemination who prayed: "Oh god, be merciful to us for not finding our own medium to share with the broader audience the biblical passage of 1 John 4:16 – God is love and when we abide in love we abide in God and God in us."
Jesus concluded the last ones went home more worthy in God's sight than the first.
In conclusion, the line from the verse of Psalm 34 are so powerful:
"Those who are crushed in spirit God saves."
HT to PC for the info!
2.2MB Audio file available...
Gospel for the Solemnity: Our Lord Jesus, Christ the King
Old Calendar: Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
From: Luke 23:35-43
The Crucified Christ is Mocked
[35] And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at Him (Jesus), saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He is the Christ of God, His Chosen One!" [36] The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up and offering Him vinegar, [37] and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!" [38] There was also an inscription over Him, "This is the King of the Jews."
The Good Thief
[39] One of the criminals who were hanged railed at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" [40] But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? [41] And we indeed justly: fo r we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." [42] And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come in Your kingly power." [43] And He said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
___________________
Commentary:
35. The Roman governor's soldiers join the Jewish people and their leaders in mocking Jesus; thus, everyone--Jews and Gentiles--contributed to making Christ's passion even more bitter. But we should not forget that we too make a mockery of our Lord every time we fall into sin or fail to respond sufficiently to grace. This is why St. Paul says that those who sin "crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold Him up to contempt" (Hebrews 6:6).
39-43. The episode of the two thieves invites us to admire the designs of divine providence, of grace and human freedom.&nbs p; Both thieves are in the same position--in the presence of the Eternal High Priest as He offers Himself in sacrifice for them for all mankind. One of them hardens his heart, despairs and blasphemes, while the other repents, prays with confidence to Christ and is promised immediate salvation.
"The Lord," St. Ambrose comments, "always grants more than one asks: the thief only asked Him to remember Him, but the Lord says to him, `Truly, I say to you, today, you will be with Me in Paradise.' Life consists in dwelling with Jesus Christ, and where Jesus Christ is there is His Kingdom" ("Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.). "It is one thing for man to judge someone he does not know; another, for God, who can see into a person's conscience. Among men, confession is followed by punishment; whereas confession to God is followed by salvation" (St. John Chrysostom, "De Cruce Et Latrone").
While we make our way through life, we all sin, but we can all repent also. God is always waiting for us with His arms wide open, ready to forgive us. Therefore, no one should despair: everyone should try to have a strong hope in God's mercy. But no one may presume that he will be saved, for none of us can be absolutely certain of our final perseverance (cf. Council of Trent, "De Justificatione", Canon 16). This relative uncertainty is a spur God gives us to be ever vigilant; this vigilance in turns helps us progress in the work of our sanctification as Christians.
42. "Many times have I repeated that verse of the eucharistic hymn: "Peto quod petivit latro poenitens," and it always fills me with emotion: to ask like the penitent did! He recognized that he himself deserved that awful punishment.... And with a word he stole Christ's heart and `opened up for himself' the gates of Heaven" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way of the Cross", XII, 4).
43. In responding to the good thief, Jesus reveals that He is God, for He has power over man's eternal destiny; and He also shows that He is infinitely merciful and does not reject the soul who sincerely repents. Similarly by these words Jesus reveals to us a basic truth of faith: "We believe in eternal life. We believe that the souls of all who die in the grace of Christ--whether they must still make expiation in the fire of Purgatory, or whether from the moment they leave their bodies they are received by Jesus Christ into Paradise like the good thief--go to form the People of God which succeeds death, death which will be totally destroyed on the day of the Resurrection when these souls are reunited with their bodies" ([Pope] Paul VI, "Creed of the People of God", 28).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
From: Luke 23:35-43
The Crucified Christ is Mocked
[35] And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at Him (Jesus), saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He is the Christ of God, His Chosen One!" [36] The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up and offering Him vinegar, [37] and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!" [38] There was also an inscription over Him, "This is the King of the Jews."
The Good Thief
[39] One of the criminals who were hanged railed at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" [40] But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? [41] And we indeed justly: fo r we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." [42] And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come in Your kingly power." [43] And He said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
___________________
Commentary:35. The Roman governor's soldiers join the Jewish people and their leaders in mocking Jesus; thus, everyone--Jews and Gentiles--contributed to making Christ's passion even more bitter. But we should not forget that we too make a mockery of our Lord every time we fall into sin or fail to respond sufficiently to grace. This is why St. Paul says that those who sin "crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold Him up to contempt" (Hebrews 6:6).
39-43. The episode of the two thieves invites us to admire the designs of divine providence, of grace and human freedom.&nbs p; Both thieves are in the same position--in the presence of the Eternal High Priest as He offers Himself in sacrifice for them for all mankind. One of them hardens his heart, despairs and blasphemes, while the other repents, prays with confidence to Christ and is promised immediate salvation.
"The Lord," St. Ambrose comments, "always grants more than one asks: the thief only asked Him to remember Him, but the Lord says to him, `Truly, I say to you, today, you will be with Me in Paradise.' Life consists in dwelling with Jesus Christ, and where Jesus Christ is there is His Kingdom" ("Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.). "It is one thing for man to judge someone he does not know; another, for God, who can see into a person's conscience. Among men, confession is followed by punishment; whereas confession to God is followed by salvation" (St. John Chrysostom, "De Cruce Et Latrone").
While we make our way through life, we all sin, but we can all repent also. God is always waiting for us with His arms wide open, ready to forgive us. Therefore, no one should despair: everyone should try to have a strong hope in God's mercy. But no one may presume that he will be saved, for none of us can be absolutely certain of our final perseverance (cf. Council of Trent, "De Justificatione", Canon 16). This relative uncertainty is a spur God gives us to be ever vigilant; this vigilance in turns helps us progress in the work of our sanctification as Christians.
42. "Many times have I repeated that verse of the eucharistic hymn: "Peto quod petivit latro poenitens," and it always fills me with emotion: to ask like the penitent did! He recognized that he himself deserved that awful punishment.... And with a word he stole Christ's heart and `opened up for himself' the gates of Heaven" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way of the Cross", XII, 4).
43. In responding to the good thief, Jesus reveals that He is God, for He has power over man's eternal destiny; and He also shows that He is infinitely merciful and does not reject the soul who sincerely repents. Similarly by these words Jesus reveals to us a basic truth of faith: "We believe in eternal life. We believe that the souls of all who die in the grace of Christ--whether they must still make expiation in the fire of Purgatory, or whether from the moment they leave their bodies they are received by Jesus Christ into Paradise like the good thief--go to form the People of God which succeeds death, death which will be totally destroyed on the day of the Resurrection when these souls are reunited with their bodies" ([Pope] Paul VI, "Creed of the People of God", 28).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
2nd Reading for the Solemnity: Our Lord Jesus, Christ the King
From: Colossians 1:12-20
Prayer for Advancement in Holiness; Exhortation to Gratitude (Continuation)
[l2] Give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. [13] He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Hymn in Praise of Christ as Head of All Creation
[15] He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; [16] for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. [17] He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. [18] He is the head of the body, the church, he is the beginning; the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. [19] For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things.
______________________
Commentary:
12-14. "The dominion of darkness": the condition of enslavement to the devil of a person in the state of sin. As is frequent in Sacred Scripture (cf. Is 58:10; Jn 12:35; 1 Jn 1:5; 2:8; 2 Cor 6:14; Rom 13:11-14; Eph 5:7-13), the simile of movement from darkness to light is used to refer to "redemption" or the change from a condition of sin to one of righteousness and friendship with God, which is effected by infusion of sanctifying grace (cf. St Thomas, "Commentary on Col, ad loc.").
"Light": this is a symbol of the risen Christ and also of the abundance of graces which he won for mankind in his Easter Mystery. It also describes the whole ensemble of supernatural benefits which grace brings with it--goodness, righteousness (or holiness) and truth (cf. Eph 5:9), which lead to the glory of heaven (cf. 2 Cor 4:6). Hence the "rite of light", so richly a symbol of supernatural realities, which has formed part of baptismal liturgy since the first centuries.
The struggle between light and the power of darkness is referred to in many passages of Sacred Scripture (cf. Jn 1:5, 9-11). Darkness means both evil and the power of the Evil One. Before the redemption took place, all men--as a consequence of original sin and their personal sins--were slaves to sin; this slavery darkened their minds and made it difficult for them to know God, who is the true light. Christ our Lord, by carrying out the redemption and obtaining forgiveness for our sins (cf. v. 14), rescued us from the kingdom of darkness from the tyranny of the Evil One, and brought us into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of truth and justice, of love and of peace (cf. "Preface for the Solemnity of Christ the King"), enabling us to enjoy "the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Rom 8:21).
"His beloved Son": the Hebrew expression "Son of his love", which is paralleled in the Greek, is one of the ways Jesus Christ is referred to in the New Testament (cf. Mt 12:6; Lk 20:13). A variation, "my Son, the Beloved", is spoken by the voice from heaven, that is, by the Father, at Jesus' baptism (cf. Mt 3:17; Mk 1:11; Lk 3:22) and at the Transfiguration (cf. Mt 17:5; Mk 9:7; Lk 9:35).
By speaking in this way St Paul, like St John, is underlining the fact that "God is love" (l Jn 4:8). God's love for us was made manifest by his sending his only Son into the world so that we might live through him (cf. 1 Jn 4:9). By dying on the Cross he won life for us; by redeeming us with his blood he obtained forgiveness for our sins (cf. Col 1:14; Eph 2:4ff): "He revealed to us that God is love, and he gave us the 'new commandment' of love (Jn 13:34), at the same time communicating to us the certainty that the path of love is open for all people, so that the effort to establish universal brotherhood is not a vain one (cf. "Gaudium Et Spes", 38). By conquering through his death on the Cross evil and the power of sin, by his loving obedience he brought salvation to all" (John Paul II, "Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia", 10).
On the meaning of "redemption" and "forgiveness of sins", see the note on Eph 1:7-8.
12. We Christians should be grateful to God for his great mercy in deigning to free us from the power of the devil, forgiving our sins and making us worthy to "share in the inheritance of the saints". We have benefited in so many ways: "In addition to the gift itself, he also gives us the power we need so receive it [...]. God has not only honored us by making us share in the inheritance, but has made us worthy to possess it. And so we receive a double honor from God--firstly, the position itself; and secondly, the capacity to measure up to it" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on Col, ad loc.").
Our sharing in "the inheritance of the saints" enables us to draw on the treasury of spiritual goods which the Church is continually applying to its members--prayers, sacrifices and all kinds of meritorious actions, which benefit every Christian. This "inheritance of the saints"--in which we begin to share in this present life--will be found in its full and permanent form by those who attain everlasting joy. The grace of conversion originates in God's loving kindness. "Prior to God's gift of grace, although not every man might be sinful there is nothing that he does or can do which would merit forgiveness or the grace of God. You must realize", St John of Avila says, "that it is God who has brought you out of darkness into his wonderful light [...]. And what caused him to do so was not your past merits or any service you have rendered him, but his kindness alone and the merits of our only mediator, Jesus Christ our Lord" ("Audi, Filia", 65).
15-20. Now we come to a very beautiful hymn in praise of Christ's sublime dignity as God and as man. This was a truth deserving emphasis in view of the danger to the faith which the false apostles' teaching represented (cf. note on vv. 7-8). However, quite apart from the particular situation in Colossae, the sublime teaching contained in this canticle holds good for all times; it is one of the most important Christological texts in St Paul's writings.
The real protagonist of this passage is the Son of God made man, whose two natures, divine and human, are always linked in the divine person of the Word. However, at some points St Paul stresses his divinity (vv. 16, 17, 18b and 19) and at others his humanity (vv. 15, 18a, 18c and 20). The underlying theme of the hymn is Christ's total pre-eminence over all creation.
We can distinguish two stanzas in the hymn. In the first (vv. 15-17) Christ's dominion is stated to embrace the entire cosmos, stemming as it does from his action as Creator: "in him all things were created" (v. 16). This same statement is made in the prologue to the fourth Gospel (cf. Jn 1:3), and it is implied in the Book of Genesis, which tells us that creation was effected by God's word (cf. Gen 1:3, 6, 9, etc.). Since Christ is the Word of God, he is above all things, and therefore St Paul stresses that all angels--irrespective of their hierarchy or order--come under his sway.
Christ's pre-eminence over natural creation is followed by his primacy in the economy of supernatural salvation, a second creation worked by God through grace. The second stanza (vv. 18-20) refers to this further primacy of Christ: by his death on the cross, Christ has restored peace and has reconciled all things--the world and mankind--to God. Jews and Gentiles both are called to form part of one body, the Church, of which Christ is the head; and all the celestial powers are subject to his authority.
This passage is, then, a sublime canticle celebrating Christ, the head by virtue of his surpassing excellence and his salvific action. "The Son of God and of the Blessed Virgin", Pius XII teaches, "must be called the head of the Church for the special reason of his preeminence. For the head holds the highest place. But none holds a higher place than Christ as God for he is the Word of the Eternal Father and is therefore justly called 'the first-born of all creation'. None holds a higher place than Christ as man, for he, born of the immaculate Virgin, is the true and natural Son of God, and by reason of his miraculous and glorious resurrection by which he triumphed over death he is 'the first-born from the dead'. And none stands higher than he who, being the 'one mediator between God and man' (1 Tim 2:5), admirably unites earth with heaven; who, exalted on the Cross as on his throne of mercy, has drawn all things to himself" ("Mystici Corporis", 15).
15. By the unaided use of reason man can work out that God exists, but he could never, on his own, have grasped the essence of God: in this sense God is said to be invisible (cf. St Thomas, "Commentary on Col, ad loc."). This is why it is said in St John's Gospel that "no one has ever seen God" (Jn 1:18).
In Sacred Scripture we are told that man was created "in the image of God" (Gen 1:26). However, only the second person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son, is the perfect image and likeness of the Father. "The image [likeness] of a thing may be found in something else in two ways; in one way it is found in something of the same specific nature--as the image of the king is found in his son; in another way it is found in something of a different nature, as the king's image on the coin. In the first sense the Son is the image of the Father; in the second sense man is called the image of God; and therefore in order to express the imperfect character of the divine image in man, man is not simply called 'the image' but is referred to as being 'according to the image', whereby is expressed a certain movement or tendency to perfection. But it cannot be said that the Son of God is 'according to the image', because he is the perfect image of the Father" ("Summa Theologiae", I, q. 35, a. 2 ad 3). And so, "for something to be truly an image, it has to proceed from another as similar to it in species, or at least in some aspect of the species" ("Summa Theologiae", I, q. 35, a. 1, c.) To say that the Son is "image of the invisible God" means that the Father and the Son are one-in-substance--that is, both possess the same divine nature--, with the nuance that the Son proceeds from the Father. It also conveys the fact that they are two distinct persons, for no one is the image of himself.
The supreme revelation of God is that effected by the Son of God through his Incarnation. He is the only one who can say, "He who has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn 14:9). His sacred humanity, therefore, reflects the perfections of God, which he possesses by virtue of the hypostatic union--the union of divine nature and human nature which occurs in his person, which is divine. The second Person of the Trinity restored man to his original dignity. The image of God, imperfect though it be, which there is in every man and woman, was blurred by Adam's sin; but it was restored in Christ: God's true self-image takes on a nature the same as ours, and thanks to the redemption wrought by his death, we obtain forgiveness of sins (v. 14).
Jesus Christ is the "first-born of all creation" by virtue of the hypostatic union. He is, of course, prior to all creation, for he proceeds eternally from the Father by generation. This the Church has always believed, and it proclaims it in the Creed: "born of the Father before time began ..., begotten, not made, of one being [consubstantial] with the Father" ("Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed").
In Jewish culture, the first-born was first in honor and in law. When the Apostle calls Jesus "the first-born of all creation", he is referring to the fact that Christ has pre-eminence and headship over all created things, because not only does he pre-date them but they were all created "through him" and "for him" (v. 16).
16-17. Jesus Christ is God; this is why he has pre-eminence over all created things. The relationships between Christ and creation are spelled out by three prepositions. "In him all things were created": in Christ: he is their source, their center and their model or exemplary cause. "All things were created through him and for him": through him, in other words, God the Father, through God the Son, creates all things; and for him, because he is the last end, the purpose or goal of everything.
St Paul goes on to say that "in him all things hold together"; "the Son of God has not only created everything: he conserves everything in being; thus, if his sovereign will were to cease to operate for even an instant, everything would return into the nothingness from which he drew everything that exists" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on Col, ad loc.").
All created things, then, continue in existence because they share, albeit in a limited way, in Christ's infinite fullness of existence or perfection. His dominion extends not only over celestial things but also over all material things, however insignificant they may seem: it embraces everything in heaven and in the physical universe.
The sacred text also points to Christ's supremacy over invisible creation, that is, over the angels and celestial hierarchies (cf. Heb 1:5). If St Paul stresses this fact, it is to expose the errors of those who were depicting Jesus as a creature intermediary between corporeal beings and spiritual created beings, and, therefore, lower than the angels.
18. "He is the head of the body, the church": this image shows the relationship of Christ with the Church, to which he sends his grace in abundance, bearing life to all its members. 'The head," St Augustine says, "is our very Savior, who suffered under Pontius Pilate and now, after rising from the dead, is seated at the right hand of the Father. And his body is the Church [...] For the whole Church, made up of the assembly of the faithful--for all the faithful are Christ's members--has Christ, as its head, who rules his body from on high" ("Enarrationes in Psalmos", 56, 1).
St Paul unequivocally teaches that the Church is a body. "Now if the Church is a body it must be something one and undivided, according to the statement of St Paul: 'We, though many, are one body in Christ' (Rom 12:5). And not only must it be one and undivided, it must also be something concrete and visible, as our Predecessor of happy memory, Leo XIII, says in his Encyclical "Satis Cognitum": 'By the very fact of being a body the Church is visible.' It is therefore an aberration from divine truth to represent the Church as something intangible and invisible, as a mere 'pneumatic' entity joining together by an invisible link a number of communities of Christians in spite of their difference in faith.
"But a body requires a number of members so connected that they help one another. And, in fact, as in our mortal organism when one member suffers the others suffer with it, and the healthy members come to the assistance of those who are ailing, so in the Church individual members do not live only for themselves but also help one another, alleviating their suffering and helping to build up the entire body" (Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis", 7).
"He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead": this can be said because he was the first man to rise from the dead, never again to die (cf. 1 Cor 15:20; Rev 1:5), and also because thanks to him it enabled men to experience resurrection in glory (cf. 1 Cor 15:22; Rom 8:11), because they are justified through him (cf. Rom 4:25).
So, just as the previous verses looked to Christ's pre-eminent role in creations the hymn now focuses on his primacy in a new creation--the rebirth of mankind, and all creation in its train, in the supernatural order of grace and glory. Christ rose from the dead to enable us also to walk in newness of life (cf. Rom 6:4). Therefore, in every way Jesus Christ is "pre-eminent."
19. The word "pleroma" translated here as "fullness", has two meanings in Greek: one, an active meaning, describes something that "fills" or "completes"; for example, a ship's full load can be referred to as its "pleroma". The other meaning is passive, "that which is filled" or "that which is complete", so that a ship can be said to be "pleroma" when it is fully loaded. In this passage St Paul is using the word in both senses: Christ is the fullness (passive sense) of the Godhead (cf. Col 2:9), because he is full of all the perfections of the divine essence; and he is the fullness (active sense), because he fills the Church and all creation.
St John Chrysostom suggests that "the word 'fullness' is to be taken to mean the divinity of Jesus Christ [...]. This term has been chosen the better to show that the very essence of the godhead resides in Jesus Christ" ("Hom. on Col, ad loc.").
Since Christ possesses the divine nature, he also possesses the fullness of the supernatural gifts, for himself and for all mankind. Hence St Thomas' comment that pleroma "reveals the dignity of the head in so far as it has the fullness of all grace" (Commentary on Col, ad loc.). In this sense, Christ is the fullness of the Church, for as its head he vivifies his body with all kinds of unmerited gifts. Finally, the entire created universe can be termed the "fullness" ("pleroma") of Christ, because everything that exists in heaven and on earth has been created and is maintained in existence by him (cf. vv. 16-17); they are ever-present to him and are ruled by him (cf. Is 6:3; Ps 139:8; Wis 1:7; etc.). Thus, the world, which was created good (cf. Gen 1:31) tends towards its fulfillment insofar as it clearly reflects the imprint God gave it at the start of creation.
20. Since Christ is pre-eminent over all creation, the Father chose to reconcile all things to himself through him. Sin had cut man off from God, rupturing the perfect order which originally reigned in the created world. By shedding his blood on the cross, Christ obtained peace for us; nothing in the universe falls outside the scope of his peace-giving influence. He who in the beginning created all things in heaven and on earth has reestablished peace throughout creation.
This reconciliation of all things, ushered in by Christ, is fostered by the Holy Spirit who enables the Church to continue the process of reconciliation. However, we will not attain the fullness of this reconciliation until we reach heaven, when the entire created universe, along with mankind, will be perfectly renewed in Christ (cf. "Lumen Gentium", 48).
"The history of salvation--the salvation of the whole of humanity, as well as of every human being of whatever period--is the wonderful history of a reconciliation; the reconciliation whereby God, as Father, in the Blood and the Cross of his Son made man, reconciles the world to himself and thus brings into being a new family of those who have been reconciled.
"Reconciliation becomes necessary because there has been the break of sin from which derive all the other forms of break within man and about him. Reconciliation therefore, in order to be complete, necessarily requires liberation from sin, which is to be rejected in its deepest roots. Thus a close internal link unites "conversion" and "reconciliation". It is impossible to split these two realities or to speak of one and say nothing of the other (John Paul II, "Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia", 13).
Jesus Christ also counts on the cooperation of every individual Christian to apply his work of redemption and peace to all creation. The founder of Opus Dei says, in this connection: "We must love the world and work and all human things. For the world is good. Adam's sin destroyed the divine balance of creation; but God the Father sent his only Son to reestablish peace, so that we his children by adoption, might free creation from disorder and reconcile all things to God" ("Christ Is Passing By", 112).
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Prayer for Advancement in Holiness; Exhortation to Gratitude (Continuation)
[l2] Give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. [13] He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Hymn in Praise of Christ as Head of All Creation
[15] He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; [16] for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. [17] He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. [18] He is the head of the body, the church, he is the beginning; the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. [19] For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things.
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Commentary:
12-14. "The dominion of darkness": the condition of enslavement to the devil of a person in the state of sin. As is frequent in Sacred Scripture (cf. Is 58:10; Jn 12:35; 1 Jn 1:5; 2:8; 2 Cor 6:14; Rom 13:11-14; Eph 5:7-13), the simile of movement from darkness to light is used to refer to "redemption" or the change from a condition of sin to one of righteousness and friendship with God, which is effected by infusion of sanctifying grace (cf. St Thomas, "Commentary on Col, ad loc.").
"Light": this is a symbol of the risen Christ and also of the abundance of graces which he won for mankind in his Easter Mystery. It also describes the whole ensemble of supernatural benefits which grace brings with it--goodness, righteousness (or holiness) and truth (cf. Eph 5:9), which lead to the glory of heaven (cf. 2 Cor 4:6). Hence the "rite of light", so richly a symbol of supernatural realities, which has formed part of baptismal liturgy since the first centuries.
The struggle between light and the power of darkness is referred to in many passages of Sacred Scripture (cf. Jn 1:5, 9-11). Darkness means both evil and the power of the Evil One. Before the redemption took place, all men--as a consequence of original sin and their personal sins--were slaves to sin; this slavery darkened their minds and made it difficult for them to know God, who is the true light. Christ our Lord, by carrying out the redemption and obtaining forgiveness for our sins (cf. v. 14), rescued us from the kingdom of darkness from the tyranny of the Evil One, and brought us into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of truth and justice, of love and of peace (cf. "Preface for the Solemnity of Christ the King"), enabling us to enjoy "the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Rom 8:21).
"His beloved Son": the Hebrew expression "Son of his love", which is paralleled in the Greek, is one of the ways Jesus Christ is referred to in the New Testament (cf. Mt 12:6; Lk 20:13). A variation, "my Son, the Beloved", is spoken by the voice from heaven, that is, by the Father, at Jesus' baptism (cf. Mt 3:17; Mk 1:11; Lk 3:22) and at the Transfiguration (cf. Mt 17:5; Mk 9:7; Lk 9:35).
By speaking in this way St Paul, like St John, is underlining the fact that "God is love" (l Jn 4:8). God's love for us was made manifest by his sending his only Son into the world so that we might live through him (cf. 1 Jn 4:9). By dying on the Cross he won life for us; by redeeming us with his blood he obtained forgiveness for our sins (cf. Col 1:14; Eph 2:4ff): "He revealed to us that God is love, and he gave us the 'new commandment' of love (Jn 13:34), at the same time communicating to us the certainty that the path of love is open for all people, so that the effort to establish universal brotherhood is not a vain one (cf. "Gaudium Et Spes", 38). By conquering through his death on the Cross evil and the power of sin, by his loving obedience he brought salvation to all" (John Paul II, "Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia", 10).
On the meaning of "redemption" and "forgiveness of sins", see the note on Eph 1:7-8.
12. We Christians should be grateful to God for his great mercy in deigning to free us from the power of the devil, forgiving our sins and making us worthy to "share in the inheritance of the saints". We have benefited in so many ways: "In addition to the gift itself, he also gives us the power we need so receive it [...]. God has not only honored us by making us share in the inheritance, but has made us worthy to possess it. And so we receive a double honor from God--firstly, the position itself; and secondly, the capacity to measure up to it" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on Col, ad loc.").
Our sharing in "the inheritance of the saints" enables us to draw on the treasury of spiritual goods which the Church is continually applying to its members--prayers, sacrifices and all kinds of meritorious actions, which benefit every Christian. This "inheritance of the saints"--in which we begin to share in this present life--will be found in its full and permanent form by those who attain everlasting joy. The grace of conversion originates in God's loving kindness. "Prior to God's gift of grace, although not every man might be sinful there is nothing that he does or can do which would merit forgiveness or the grace of God. You must realize", St John of Avila says, "that it is God who has brought you out of darkness into his wonderful light [...]. And what caused him to do so was not your past merits or any service you have rendered him, but his kindness alone and the merits of our only mediator, Jesus Christ our Lord" ("Audi, Filia", 65).
15-20. Now we come to a very beautiful hymn in praise of Christ's sublime dignity as God and as man. This was a truth deserving emphasis in view of the danger to the faith which the false apostles' teaching represented (cf. note on vv. 7-8). However, quite apart from the particular situation in Colossae, the sublime teaching contained in this canticle holds good for all times; it is one of the most important Christological texts in St Paul's writings.
The real protagonist of this passage is the Son of God made man, whose two natures, divine and human, are always linked in the divine person of the Word. However, at some points St Paul stresses his divinity (vv. 16, 17, 18b and 19) and at others his humanity (vv. 15, 18a, 18c and 20). The underlying theme of the hymn is Christ's total pre-eminence over all creation.
We can distinguish two stanzas in the hymn. In the first (vv. 15-17) Christ's dominion is stated to embrace the entire cosmos, stemming as it does from his action as Creator: "in him all things were created" (v. 16). This same statement is made in the prologue to the fourth Gospel (cf. Jn 1:3), and it is implied in the Book of Genesis, which tells us that creation was effected by God's word (cf. Gen 1:3, 6, 9, etc.). Since Christ is the Word of God, he is above all things, and therefore St Paul stresses that all angels--irrespective of their hierarchy or order--come under his sway.
Christ's pre-eminence over natural creation is followed by his primacy in the economy of supernatural salvation, a second creation worked by God through grace. The second stanza (vv. 18-20) refers to this further primacy of Christ: by his death on the cross, Christ has restored peace and has reconciled all things--the world and mankind--to God. Jews and Gentiles both are called to form part of one body, the Church, of which Christ is the head; and all the celestial powers are subject to his authority.
This passage is, then, a sublime canticle celebrating Christ, the head by virtue of his surpassing excellence and his salvific action. "The Son of God and of the Blessed Virgin", Pius XII teaches, "must be called the head of the Church for the special reason of his preeminence. For the head holds the highest place. But none holds a higher place than Christ as God for he is the Word of the Eternal Father and is therefore justly called 'the first-born of all creation'. None holds a higher place than Christ as man, for he, born of the immaculate Virgin, is the true and natural Son of God, and by reason of his miraculous and glorious resurrection by which he triumphed over death he is 'the first-born from the dead'. And none stands higher than he who, being the 'one mediator between God and man' (1 Tim 2:5), admirably unites earth with heaven; who, exalted on the Cross as on his throne of mercy, has drawn all things to himself" ("Mystici Corporis", 15).
15. By the unaided use of reason man can work out that God exists, but he could never, on his own, have grasped the essence of God: in this sense God is said to be invisible (cf. St Thomas, "Commentary on Col, ad loc."). This is why it is said in St John's Gospel that "no one has ever seen God" (Jn 1:18).
In Sacred Scripture we are told that man was created "in the image of God" (Gen 1:26). However, only the second person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son, is the perfect image and likeness of the Father. "The image [likeness] of a thing may be found in something else in two ways; in one way it is found in something of the same specific nature--as the image of the king is found in his son; in another way it is found in something of a different nature, as the king's image on the coin. In the first sense the Son is the image of the Father; in the second sense man is called the image of God; and therefore in order to express the imperfect character of the divine image in man, man is not simply called 'the image' but is referred to as being 'according to the image', whereby is expressed a certain movement or tendency to perfection. But it cannot be said that the Son of God is 'according to the image', because he is the perfect image of the Father" ("Summa Theologiae", I, q. 35, a. 2 ad 3). And so, "for something to be truly an image, it has to proceed from another as similar to it in species, or at least in some aspect of the species" ("Summa Theologiae", I, q. 35, a. 1, c.) To say that the Son is "image of the invisible God" means that the Father and the Son are one-in-substance--that is, both possess the same divine nature--, with the nuance that the Son proceeds from the Father. It also conveys the fact that they are two distinct persons, for no one is the image of himself.
The supreme revelation of God is that effected by the Son of God through his Incarnation. He is the only one who can say, "He who has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn 14:9). His sacred humanity, therefore, reflects the perfections of God, which he possesses by virtue of the hypostatic union--the union of divine nature and human nature which occurs in his person, which is divine. The second Person of the Trinity restored man to his original dignity. The image of God, imperfect though it be, which there is in every man and woman, was blurred by Adam's sin; but it was restored in Christ: God's true self-image takes on a nature the same as ours, and thanks to the redemption wrought by his death, we obtain forgiveness of sins (v. 14).
Jesus Christ is the "first-born of all creation" by virtue of the hypostatic union. He is, of course, prior to all creation, for he proceeds eternally from the Father by generation. This the Church has always believed, and it proclaims it in the Creed: "born of the Father before time began ..., begotten, not made, of one being [consubstantial] with the Father" ("Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed").
In Jewish culture, the first-born was first in honor and in law. When the Apostle calls Jesus "the first-born of all creation", he is referring to the fact that Christ has pre-eminence and headship over all created things, because not only does he pre-date them but they were all created "through him" and "for him" (v. 16).
16-17. Jesus Christ is God; this is why he has pre-eminence over all created things. The relationships between Christ and creation are spelled out by three prepositions. "In him all things were created": in Christ: he is their source, their center and their model or exemplary cause. "All things were created through him and for him": through him, in other words, God the Father, through God the Son, creates all things; and for him, because he is the last end, the purpose or goal of everything.
St Paul goes on to say that "in him all things hold together"; "the Son of God has not only created everything: he conserves everything in being; thus, if his sovereign will were to cease to operate for even an instant, everything would return into the nothingness from which he drew everything that exists" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on Col, ad loc.").
All created things, then, continue in existence because they share, albeit in a limited way, in Christ's infinite fullness of existence or perfection. His dominion extends not only over celestial things but also over all material things, however insignificant they may seem: it embraces everything in heaven and in the physical universe.
The sacred text also points to Christ's supremacy over invisible creation, that is, over the angels and celestial hierarchies (cf. Heb 1:5). If St Paul stresses this fact, it is to expose the errors of those who were depicting Jesus as a creature intermediary between corporeal beings and spiritual created beings, and, therefore, lower than the angels.
18. "He is the head of the body, the church": this image shows the relationship of Christ with the Church, to which he sends his grace in abundance, bearing life to all its members. 'The head," St Augustine says, "is our very Savior, who suffered under Pontius Pilate and now, after rising from the dead, is seated at the right hand of the Father. And his body is the Church [...] For the whole Church, made up of the assembly of the faithful--for all the faithful are Christ's members--has Christ, as its head, who rules his body from on high" ("Enarrationes in Psalmos", 56, 1).
St Paul unequivocally teaches that the Church is a body. "Now if the Church is a body it must be something one and undivided, according to the statement of St Paul: 'We, though many, are one body in Christ' (Rom 12:5). And not only must it be one and undivided, it must also be something concrete and visible, as our Predecessor of happy memory, Leo XIII, says in his Encyclical "Satis Cognitum": 'By the very fact of being a body the Church is visible.' It is therefore an aberration from divine truth to represent the Church as something intangible and invisible, as a mere 'pneumatic' entity joining together by an invisible link a number of communities of Christians in spite of their difference in faith.
"But a body requires a number of members so connected that they help one another. And, in fact, as in our mortal organism when one member suffers the others suffer with it, and the healthy members come to the assistance of those who are ailing, so in the Church individual members do not live only for themselves but also help one another, alleviating their suffering and helping to build up the entire body" (Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis", 7).
"He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead": this can be said because he was the first man to rise from the dead, never again to die (cf. 1 Cor 15:20; Rev 1:5), and also because thanks to him it enabled men to experience resurrection in glory (cf. 1 Cor 15:22; Rom 8:11), because they are justified through him (cf. Rom 4:25).
So, just as the previous verses looked to Christ's pre-eminent role in creations the hymn now focuses on his primacy in a new creation--the rebirth of mankind, and all creation in its train, in the supernatural order of grace and glory. Christ rose from the dead to enable us also to walk in newness of life (cf. Rom 6:4). Therefore, in every way Jesus Christ is "pre-eminent."
19. The word "pleroma" translated here as "fullness", has two meanings in Greek: one, an active meaning, describes something that "fills" or "completes"; for example, a ship's full load can be referred to as its "pleroma". The other meaning is passive, "that which is filled" or "that which is complete", so that a ship can be said to be "pleroma" when it is fully loaded. In this passage St Paul is using the word in both senses: Christ is the fullness (passive sense) of the Godhead (cf. Col 2:9), because he is full of all the perfections of the divine essence; and he is the fullness (active sense), because he fills the Church and all creation.
St John Chrysostom suggests that "the word 'fullness' is to be taken to mean the divinity of Jesus Christ [...]. This term has been chosen the better to show that the very essence of the godhead resides in Jesus Christ" ("Hom. on Col, ad loc.").
Since Christ possesses the divine nature, he also possesses the fullness of the supernatural gifts, for himself and for all mankind. Hence St Thomas' comment that pleroma "reveals the dignity of the head in so far as it has the fullness of all grace" (Commentary on Col, ad loc.). In this sense, Christ is the fullness of the Church, for as its head he vivifies his body with all kinds of unmerited gifts. Finally, the entire created universe can be termed the "fullness" ("pleroma") of Christ, because everything that exists in heaven and on earth has been created and is maintained in existence by him (cf. vv. 16-17); they are ever-present to him and are ruled by him (cf. Is 6:3; Ps 139:8; Wis 1:7; etc.). Thus, the world, which was created good (cf. Gen 1:31) tends towards its fulfillment insofar as it clearly reflects the imprint God gave it at the start of creation.
20. Since Christ is pre-eminent over all creation, the Father chose to reconcile all things to himself through him. Sin had cut man off from God, rupturing the perfect order which originally reigned in the created world. By shedding his blood on the cross, Christ obtained peace for us; nothing in the universe falls outside the scope of his peace-giving influence. He who in the beginning created all things in heaven and on earth has reestablished peace throughout creation.
This reconciliation of all things, ushered in by Christ, is fostered by the Holy Spirit who enables the Church to continue the process of reconciliation. However, we will not attain the fullness of this reconciliation until we reach heaven, when the entire created universe, along with mankind, will be perfectly renewed in Christ (cf. "Lumen Gentium", 48).
"The history of salvation--the salvation of the whole of humanity, as well as of every human being of whatever period--is the wonderful history of a reconciliation; the reconciliation whereby God, as Father, in the Blood and the Cross of his Son made man, reconciles the world to himself and thus brings into being a new family of those who have been reconciled.
"Reconciliation becomes necessary because there has been the break of sin from which derive all the other forms of break within man and about him. Reconciliation therefore, in order to be complete, necessarily requires liberation from sin, which is to be rejected in its deepest roots. Thus a close internal link unites "conversion" and "reconciliation". It is impossible to split these two realities or to speak of one and say nothing of the other (John Paul II, "Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia", 13).
Jesus Christ also counts on the cooperation of every individual Christian to apply his work of redemption and peace to all creation. The founder of Opus Dei says, in this connection: "We must love the world and work and all human things. For the world is good. Adam's sin destroyed the divine balance of creation; but God the Father sent his only Son to reestablish peace, so that we his children by adoption, might free creation from disorder and reconcile all things to God" ("Christ Is Passing By", 112).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
1st Reading for the Solemnity: Our Lord Jesus, Christ the King
From: 2 Samuel 5:1-3
David is Anointed King of Israel at Hebron
[1] Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, "Behold, we are your bone and flesh. [2] In times past, when Saul was king over us. it was you that led out and brought in Israel; and the Lord said to you, 'You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.'" [3] So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.
__________________
Commentary:
5:1-5. David's consecration as king of Israel is told quite simply but the account emphasizes details of primary importance in salvation history: the tribes of the North and the South are all brothers: "we are your flesh and bone" (v. 1); the images of the shepherd (v. 2), David's original profession, conveys the notion of a ruler and king who governs not for his own advantage but for the welfare of his subjects; David's covenant with the leaders (v. 3) is in line with the general doctrine of covenant which is the basis of God's relations with his people, and of those between Israelite and Israelite; the figures given for David's reigns (seven as king of Judah, forty as king of Judah and Israel) are symbols of plenitude. Even in the New Testament the numbers seven and forty have the same connotation (cf. Mt 4:2; 18:22; Rev 1:11; Acts 4:22; etc.). Hebron, the place where David was also anointed king of Judah, was the main city of the South; within it was the cave of Mach-pelah (cf. Gen 25:9) and close to it was the sacred oak of Mamre. However, it was replaced by Jerusalem perhaps to show that a new kingdom warranted a new royal base.
David is a figure of Jesus Christ on many counts, but they all derive from the fact that he is king: Jesus Christ, too will be acclaimed King of Israel. "But what did it mean for the Lord to be acclaimed the King of Israel? What did it mean to the King of all ages to be recognized as the king of men? Christ did not become the King of Israel in order to demand tributes or to raise armies and make war against the enemies [of Israel]; he became the King of Israel to reign over souls, to give counsel that leads to eternal life, to bring those who were filled with faith, hope and Love to the Kingdom of heaven" (St Augustine, "In loannis Evangelium", 51, 4).
The liturgy of the Church uses this passage from the hook of Samuel for the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, together with the passage about the crucifixion (Lk 23:35-43). Jesus won his kingdom through his obedience, which has its climax in death on the cross, bringing about the definitive salvation of all mankind.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
David is Anointed King of Israel at Hebron
[1] Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, "Behold, we are your bone and flesh. [2] In times past, when Saul was king over us. it was you that led out and brought in Israel; and the Lord said to you, 'You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.'" [3] So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.
__________________
Commentary:
5:1-5. David's consecration as king of Israel is told quite simply but the account emphasizes details of primary importance in salvation history: the tribes of the North and the South are all brothers: "we are your flesh and bone" (v. 1); the images of the shepherd (v. 2), David's original profession, conveys the notion of a ruler and king who governs not for his own advantage but for the welfare of his subjects; David's covenant with the leaders (v. 3) is in line with the general doctrine of covenant which is the basis of God's relations with his people, and of those between Israelite and Israelite; the figures given for David's reigns (seven as king of Judah, forty as king of Judah and Israel) are symbols of plenitude. Even in the New Testament the numbers seven and forty have the same connotation (cf. Mt 4:2; 18:22; Rev 1:11; Acts 4:22; etc.). Hebron, the place where David was also anointed king of Judah, was the main city of the South; within it was the cave of Mach-pelah (cf. Gen 25:9) and close to it was the sacred oak of Mamre. However, it was replaced by Jerusalem perhaps to show that a new kingdom warranted a new royal base.
David is a figure of Jesus Christ on many counts, but they all derive from the fact that he is king: Jesus Christ, too will be acclaimed King of Israel. "But what did it mean for the Lord to be acclaimed the King of Israel? What did it mean to the King of all ages to be recognized as the king of men? Christ did not become the King of Israel in order to demand tributes or to raise armies and make war against the enemies [of Israel]; he became the King of Israel to reign over souls, to give counsel that leads to eternal life, to bring those who were filled with faith, hope and Love to the Kingdom of heaven" (St Augustine, "In loannis Evangelium", 51, 4).
The liturgy of the Church uses this passage from the hook of Samuel for the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, together with the passage about the crucifixion (Lk 23:35-43). Jesus won his kingdom through his obedience, which has its climax in death on the cross, bringing about the definitive salvation of all mankind.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Just for Today, November 25
A fervent religious man bears and takes all things well that are commanded him. A negligent and lukewarm religious man has trouble upon trouble, and on every side suffers anguish; because he has no comfort within, and is hindered from seeking any without.
A religious man that lives not in discipline lies open to dreadful ruin.
- Bk. I, ch. xxv.
How much anxiety our vow of obedience spares us! Simple religious are fortunate beings; as the will of superiors is their only compass, they can never lose their way, even if superiors make mistakes. But if a soul neglects to consult her compass, she will soon wander off into the desert where no water of grace is to be found.
- H.
__________________
For a List of Abbreviations, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
A religious man that lives not in discipline lies open to dreadful ruin.
- Bk. I, ch. xxv.
How much anxiety our vow of obedience spares us! Simple religious are fortunate beings; as the will of superiors is their only compass, they can never lose their way, even if superiors make mistakes. But if a soul neglects to consult her compass, she will soon wander off into the desert where no water of grace is to be found.
- H.
__________________
For a List of Abbreviations, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
Thoughts and Counsels - November 25
Is it not a great cruelty for us Christians, members of the body of the Holy Church, to attack one another?
-St. Catherine of Siena
_________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
-St. Catherine of Siena
_________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
Meditation for November 25, Spiritual Inequalities
When I compare the favors accorded to certain saints, perhaps to souls that are close to me, with the difficulties that I experience in serving God perfectly, or in remaining faithful to prayer; when I consider how they seem to fly in the service of the Good Master, transported, as it were, to the seventh heaven, I feel myself moved not exactly to jealousy but to regret.
What have I done to the Good God? Have I not tried to serve Him with the entirety of my weak powers? Why does He treat me so differently?
Here is how one of the masters of the Spiritual Life, Alvarez de Paz, explains the reasons for these inequalities in the distribution of graces:
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
What have I done to the Good God? Have I not tried to serve Him with the entirety of my weak powers? Why does He treat me so differently?
Here is how one of the masters of the Spiritual Life, Alvarez de Paz, explains the reasons for these inequalities in the distribution of graces:
"Equality does not demand that all the just be raised to the same degree of purity. The heavenly fatherland is not a pile of uniform stones, but a perfect city whose particular characteristic is inequality in rank, in variety, and dignity. After the manner of a city, there must be different classes. Those who are neither called nor elected to the eminent glory of the Apostles, the martyrs, or doctors, do not receive the corresponding grace for that glory or that state, but a wealth of help in harmony with their personal vocation."Moreover, by this unequal distribution of grace the Savior has not only regarded the laws of Providence, but He has manifested His divine condescension to the infirmity of the elect, not wishing to impose on them a burden out of proportion to their strength, lest they succumb under the weight of the favors bestowed. That is why some have received five talents, others two, and others only one, according to their capacity of making them valuable.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Mexican Government: “The cathedral belongs to the nation”
An update to the post, Leftists attack Mexico City’s Metropolitan Cathedral during Sunday Mass :
Government authorities say Catholic Church powerless to close Mexico City’s Metropolitan Cathedral despite recent attacks by leftists because it is state-owned property
When ecclesiastical authorities decided to close the doors of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City indefinitely following a Sunday, Nov. 18, attack on worshippers by leftists during the noon Mass, some politicians, instead of condemning the aggressors, severely criticized the Church for shuttering the cathedral.
The first reaction came from Marcelo Ebrard, chief of government for Mexico’s capital city, the Federal District. After learning the cathedral had been closed, Ebrard declared, “The cathedral belongs to the nation, not to the Catholic church, so they cannot unilaterally close it up....”
Gospel for Nov 24, Memorial, St Andrew Dung-Lac, priest and martyr, & his companions, martyrs
Old Calendar: St. John of the Cross, confessor and doctor; St. Chrysogonus, martyr
From: Luke 20:27-40
The Resurrection of the Dead
[27] There came to Him (Jesus) some Sadducees, those who say that there is no resurrection, [28] and they asked Him a question saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the wife and raise up children for his brother. [29] Now there were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and died without children; [30] and the second [31] and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. [32] Afterward the woman also died. [33] In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife."
[34] And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage; [35] but those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, [36] for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. [37] But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. [38] Now He is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to Him." [39] And some of scribes answered, "Teacher, You have spoken well." [40] For they no longer dared to ask Him any question.
_____________________
Commentary:
27-40. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the body or the immortality of the soul. They came along to ask Jesus a question which is apparently unanswerable. According to the Levirate law (cf. Deuteronomy 25:5ff), if a man died without issue, his brother was duty bound to marry his widow to provide his brother with descendants. The consequences of this law would seem to give rise to a ridiculous situation at the resurrection of the dead.
Our Lord replies by reaffirming that there will be a resurrection; and by explaining the properties of those who have risen again, the Sadducees' argument simply evaporates. In this world people marry in order to continue the species: that is the primary aim of marriage. After the resurrection there will be no more marriage because people will not die anymore.
Quoting Sacred Scripture (Exodus 3:2, 6) our Lord shows the grave mistake the Sadducees make, and He argues: God is not the God of the dead but of the living, that is to say, there exists a permanent relationship between God and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who have been dead for years. Therefore, although these just men have died as far as their bodies are concerned, they are alive, truly alive, in God--their souls are immortal--and they are awaiting the resurrection of their bodies.
See also the notes on Matthew 22:23-33 and Mark 12:18-27.
[The note on Matthew 22:23-33 states:
23-33. The Sadducees argue against belief in the resurrection of the dead on the basis of the Levirate law, a Jewish law which laid down that when a married man died without issue, one of his brothers, according to a fixed order, should marry his widow and the first son of that union be given the dead man's name. By outlining an extreme cases the Sadducees make the law and belief in resurrection look ridiculous. In His reply, Jesus shows up the frivolity of their objections and asserts the truth of the resurrection of the dead.]
[The note on Mark 12:18-27 states:
18-27. Before answering the difficulty proposed by the Sadducees, Jesus wants to identify the source of the problem--man's tendency to confine the greatness of God inside a human framework through excessivereliance on reason, not giving due weight to divine Revelation and the power of God. A person can have difficulty with the truths of faith; this is not surprising, for these truths are above human reason. But it is ridiculous to try to find contradictions in the revealed word of God; this only leads away from any solution of difficulty and may make it impossible to find one's way back to God. We need to approach Sacred Scripture, and, in general, the things of God, with the humility which faith demands. In the passage about the burning bush, which Jesus quotes to the Sadducees, God says this to Moses: "Put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground" (Exodus 3:5).]
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
From: Luke 20:27-40
The Resurrection of the Dead
[27] There came to Him (Jesus) some Sadducees, those who say that there is no resurrection, [28] and they asked Him a question saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the wife and raise up children for his brother. [29] Now there were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and died without children; [30] and the second [31] and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. [32] Afterward the woman also died. [33] In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife."
[34] And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage; [35] but those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, [36] for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. [37] But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. [38] Now He is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to Him." [39] And some of scribes answered, "Teacher, You have spoken well." [40] For they no longer dared to ask Him any question.
_____________________
Commentary:
27-40. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the body or the immortality of the soul. They came along to ask Jesus a question which is apparently unanswerable. According to the Levirate law (cf. Deuteronomy 25:5ff), if a man died without issue, his brother was duty bound to marry his widow to provide his brother with descendants. The consequences of this law would seem to give rise to a ridiculous situation at the resurrection of the dead.
Our Lord replies by reaffirming that there will be a resurrection; and by explaining the properties of those who have risen again, the Sadducees' argument simply evaporates. In this world people marry in order to continue the species: that is the primary aim of marriage. After the resurrection there will be no more marriage because people will not die anymore.
Quoting Sacred Scripture (Exodus 3:2, 6) our Lord shows the grave mistake the Sadducees make, and He argues: God is not the God of the dead but of the living, that is to say, there exists a permanent relationship between God and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who have been dead for years. Therefore, although these just men have died as far as their bodies are concerned, they are alive, truly alive, in God--their souls are immortal--and they are awaiting the resurrection of their bodies.
See also the notes on Matthew 22:23-33 and Mark 12:18-27.
[The note on Matthew 22:23-33 states:
23-33. The Sadducees argue against belief in the resurrection of the dead on the basis of the Levirate law, a Jewish law which laid down that when a married man died without issue, one of his brothers, according to a fixed order, should marry his widow and the first son of that union be given the dead man's name. By outlining an extreme cases the Sadducees make the law and belief in resurrection look ridiculous. In His reply, Jesus shows up the frivolity of their objections and asserts the truth of the resurrection of the dead.]
[The note on Mark 12:18-27 states:
18-27. Before answering the difficulty proposed by the Sadducees, Jesus wants to identify the source of the problem--man's tendency to confine the greatness of God inside a human framework through excessivereliance on reason, not giving due weight to divine Revelation and the power of God. A person can have difficulty with the truths of faith; this is not surprising, for these truths are above human reason. But it is ridiculous to try to find contradictions in the revealed word of God; this only leads away from any solution of difficulty and may make it impossible to find one's way back to God. We need to approach Sacred Scripture, and, in general, the things of God, with the humility which faith demands. In the passage about the burning bush, which Jesus quotes to the Sadducees, God says this to Moses: "Put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground" (Exodus 3:5).]
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Just for Today, November 24
I will hear what the Lord God will speak to me (Ps. lxxxiv).
Happy is that soul which heareth the Lord speaking within her, and from His mouth receiveth the word of comfort! Happy ears, which receive the accents of the divine whisper, and take no notice of the whisperings of the world. Happy ears, indeed, which hearken to Truth itself teaching within, and not to the voice which soundeth without.
- Bk. III, ch. i.
When I was seventeen and eighteen I found much light in the writings of St John of the Cross, and he was my principal guide, but later on all spiritual writers left me in great dryness of spirit, and do so still. However beautiful and moving a book may be, as soon as I begin to read I am incapable of taking it in, and my heart is troubled; or if I do understand, my mind is unable to meditate further. In this state of helplessness the Scriptures and the Imitation come to my assistance, and in them I find a hidden manna, pure and sustaining.
The Gospel is my chief support in prayer, and I find in it all that my poor little soul needs. I am always finding new light there, and hidden, mysterious meanings; I learn by experience that the kingdom of God is within us (Luke xvii, 21). The divine Master has no needs of books or other teachers to do His work; He instructs the soul silently, without words. I have never heard Him, but I know that He is within me, inspiring and prompting me at the moment I need it most. It is not usually at my prayer that I see this new light, but when doing my ordinary work during the day.
-H.
__________________
For a List of Abbreviations, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
Happy is that soul which heareth the Lord speaking within her, and from His mouth receiveth the word of comfort! Happy ears, which receive the accents of the divine whisper, and take no notice of the whisperings of the world. Happy ears, indeed, which hearken to Truth itself teaching within, and not to the voice which soundeth without.
- Bk. III, ch. i.
When I was seventeen and eighteen I found much light in the writings of St John of the Cross, and he was my principal guide, but later on all spiritual writers left me in great dryness of spirit, and do so still. However beautiful and moving a book may be, as soon as I begin to read I am incapable of taking it in, and my heart is troubled; or if I do understand, my mind is unable to meditate further. In this state of helplessness the Scriptures and the Imitation come to my assistance, and in them I find a hidden manna, pure and sustaining.
The Gospel is my chief support in prayer, and I find in it all that my poor little soul needs. I am always finding new light there, and hidden, mysterious meanings; I learn by experience that the kingdom of God is within us (Luke xvii, 21). The divine Master has no needs of books or other teachers to do His work; He instructs the soul silently, without words. I have never heard Him, but I know that He is within me, inspiring and prompting me at the moment I need it most. It is not usually at my prayer that I see this new light, but when doing my ordinary work during the day.
-H.
__________________
For a List of Abbreviations, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
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