John 6:51-58
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."
52 The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?"
53 Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
57 Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.
58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."
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For those keeping score ... we are in the third of a four week series of Sunday gospels that discuss the Bread of Life discourse in John 6. Which means that the Church thinks it's pretty important. It's so important that we go to this very passage in Lent during Holy Week ... which is why the passage and this message are so familiar. :)
When Jesus says "Amen, Amen, I say to you ..." I think of Him as saying "Listen to me!" Other translations of this are "Verily, verily I say to you", or as the protestant NIV translation says, "I tell you the truth."
So here we have Christ saying, listen to me, I speak the truth. My flesh is TRUE FOOD. My blood is TRUE DRINK. The question of whether to believe he is speaking literally or figuratively has been going almost ever since he said those words.
From the very beginning, the Church teaching has been clear. Here are the testimonies of priests from the first and second centuries of the Church. The first one listed was taught directly by the human author of today's reading. :
Ignatius of Antioch, direct pupil of St. John the Evangelist: Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how contrary their opinions are to the mind of God ... They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which that Father, in his goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes. Epistle to the Smyrnaeans, Chapter 6, 110 A.D.
Justin Martyr, pupil of Polycarp, direct pupil of St. John the Evangelist: Just as our Savior Jesus Christ was made flesh by the word of God and took on flesh and blood for our salvation, so also were we taught that the food, for which thanksgiving has been made through the word of prayer instituted by him, and from which our blood and flesh are nourished after the change, is the flesh of that Jesus who was made flesh. Indeed, the Apostles, in the records left by them which are called gospels, handed on that it was commanded to them in this manner: Jesus, having taken bread and given thanks said, ``Do this in memory of me, this is my body.'' Likewise, having taken the cup and given thanks, he said, ``This is my blood'', and he gave it to them alone. Apology, I.66-67, 2nd century.
St. Irenaeus of Lyons: If the body be not saved, then in fact, neither did the Lord redeem us with His Blood; and neither is the cup of the Eucharist the partaking of His Blood nor is the Bread which we break the partaking of His Body . . . He has declared the cup, a part of creation, to be His own Blood, from which He causes our blood to flow; and the bread, a part of creation, He has established as His own Body, from which He gives increase to our bodies. Against Heresies, [5,2,2] 180 A.D.
Showing posts with label - Eucharist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label - Eucharist. Show all posts
Friday, August 14, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Daily: 7/13/09
Matthew 11:20-24
20 Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented.
21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
23 And as for you, Capernaum: 'Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.' For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."
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Jesus so hard on Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum because these are places where he walked and taught, and performed miracles that displayed for all His divinity and His mercy. He walked among them, He did His thing, and despite Him revealing His glory to them, they didn't repent.
And ... He says that on the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for them. Recall that Christ is the one doing the judging. He's telling them exactly what will happen on that day. .
As I sat down to write this morning, I thought about how this relates to me. I don't live in these towns. I go to Church every Sunday. Clearly I'm not the kind of person He's talking about.
Then I considered these things:
1. Every time we go to mass we participate in a miracle greater than any witnessed by those in Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, or anywhere else. Every Sunday we witness Christ transform bread and wine into His body and blood.
2. "Repent" doesn't mean "I'm sorry", it means "I'm on the wrong path, I'm not going to act like this anymore." That's a HUGE difference. Those of us who have kids know exactly what it looks like - because we see our kids say "I'm sorry" but not be repentant darn near every day. We see them hanging their heads because they've been caught, saying what they need to say, then going right back and doing the same thing again.
3. According to what Christ says above, if I am unrepentant, He will be harder on me than He will be on Sodom.
Repentance is something we need to do over and over in our lives. As we grow in Christ, He shows us more and more of our life that needs to be changed. He shows us where we're walking down the wrong path, and that we need to repent. In time, we see pieces of our life that need to be put to death for us to truly follow Him.
How do I react when that happens? Do I cling to something worldly that I know and love, or do I respond to Christ's call? If I actually make it to Reconciliation, do I just say "I'm sorry", or do I commit to changing?
20 Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented.
21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
23 And as for you, Capernaum: 'Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.' For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."
------------
Jesus so hard on Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum because these are places where he walked and taught, and performed miracles that displayed for all His divinity and His mercy. He walked among them, He did His thing, and despite Him revealing His glory to them, they didn't repent.
And ... He says that on the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for them. Recall that Christ is the one doing the judging. He's telling them exactly what will happen on that day. .
As I sat down to write this morning, I thought about how this relates to me. I don't live in these towns. I go to Church every Sunday. Clearly I'm not the kind of person He's talking about.
Then I considered these things:
1. Every time we go to mass we participate in a miracle greater than any witnessed by those in Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, or anywhere else. Every Sunday we witness Christ transform bread and wine into His body and blood.
2. "Repent" doesn't mean "I'm sorry", it means "I'm on the wrong path, I'm not going to act like this anymore." That's a HUGE difference. Those of us who have kids know exactly what it looks like - because we see our kids say "I'm sorry" but not be repentant darn near every day. We see them hanging their heads because they've been caught, saying what they need to say, then going right back and doing the same thing again.
3. According to what Christ says above, if I am unrepentant, He will be harder on me than He will be on Sodom.
Repentance is something we need to do over and over in our lives. As we grow in Christ, He shows us more and more of our life that needs to be changed. He shows us where we're walking down the wrong path, and that we need to repent. In time, we see pieces of our life that need to be put to death for us to truly follow Him.
How do I react when that happens? Do I cling to something worldly that I know and love, or do I respond to Christ's call? If I actually make it to Reconciliation, do I just say "I'm sorry", or do I commit to changing?
Monday, June 15, 2009
Daily - 6/15/09
Matthew 5:43-48
43 You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
46 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?
47 And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?
48 So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
--------------
All through the first third of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Christ lays out an extremely high standard of living. Many say that it is so high that it is unreachable. In one sense, that is true. However, remember that as Christians, Christ is IN us. He is righteousness FOR us. Because we have that, we actually are capable of living to the standard that he sets in Matthew 5. If we could just get out of the way and let Him do His thing, the type of life he describes can occur. He gives us everything we need to live as "children of your heavenly father"
Really, this is the spiritual journey of our lives. If we remain in Christ ... obeying his commands, continually searching for Him, and opening up our hearts and minds to Him, we are transformed. Flesh is put to death, and we move to life in the Spirit.
Yesterday was the feast of Corpus Christi, the body and blood of Christ. In the Eucharist, he has given us the sustainance we need to get from what we are to the type of person Christ describes in today's passage. Through the Eucharist he gives us the graces we need to live the life to which He has called us. This is what the Catholic Church teaches, and after years of searching and praying, it is my testimony as well. The Eucharist is transforming me.
43 You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
46 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?
47 And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?
48 So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
--------------
All through the first third of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Christ lays out an extremely high standard of living. Many say that it is so high that it is unreachable. In one sense, that is true. However, remember that as Christians, Christ is IN us. He is righteousness FOR us. Because we have that, we actually are capable of living to the standard that he sets in Matthew 5. If we could just get out of the way and let Him do His thing, the type of life he describes can occur. He gives us everything we need to live as "children of your heavenly father"
Really, this is the spiritual journey of our lives. If we remain in Christ ... obeying his commands, continually searching for Him, and opening up our hearts and minds to Him, we are transformed. Flesh is put to death, and we move to life in the Spirit.
Yesterday was the feast of Corpus Christi, the body and blood of Christ. In the Eucharist, he has given us the sustainance we need to get from what we are to the type of person Christ describes in today's passage. Through the Eucharist he gives us the graces we need to live the life to which He has called us. This is what the Catholic Church teaches, and after years of searching and praying, it is my testimony as well. The Eucharist is transforming me.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Daily - 6/12/09
Mk 14:12-16, 22-26
12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, 3 his disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
13 He sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. 4 Follow him.
14 Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'
15 Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there."
16 The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
22 While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body."
23 Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
24 He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.
25 Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
26 Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
--------
I've skipped forward to Sunday's reading, which is Mark's account of the institution of the Eucharist.
This is our identity as Catholics. The Catechism calls the Eucharist the "source and summit" of our faith. Indeed, all paths lead here for us. We believe that the Eucharist is the physical body and blood of Christ. We have the opportunity to receive this every day, and we have the opportunity to sit directly before Jesus in Adoration any time we want, 24 hours per day.
I'll leave the rest to someone smarter than me.
-----------
ENCYCLICAL LETTERECCLESIA DE EUCHARISTIA
OF HIS HOLINESSPOPE JOHN PAUL II
TO THE BISHOPS PRIESTS AND DEACONS, MEN AND WOMEN IN THE CONSECRATED LIFE, AND ALL THE LAY FAITHFUL ON THE EUCHARIST IN ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHURCH
April 17, 2003
1. The Church draws her life from the Eucharist. This truth does not simply express a daily experience of faith, but recapitulates the heart of the mystery of the Church. In a variety of ways she joyfully experiences the constant fulfilment of the promise: “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20), but in the Holy Eucharist, through the changing of bread and wine into the body and blood of the Lord, she rejoices in this presence with unique intensity. Ever since Pentecost, when the Church, the People of the New Covenant, began her pilgrim journey towards her heavenly homeland, the Divine Sacrament has continued to mark the passing of her days, filling them with confident hope.
The Second Vatican Council rightly proclaimed that the Eucharistic sacrifice is “the source and summit of the Christian life”.1 “For the most holy Eucharist contains the Church's entire spiritual wealth: Christ himself, our passover and living bread. Through his own flesh, now made living and life-giving by the Holy Spirit, he offers life to men”.2 Consequently the gaze of the Church is constantly turned to her Lord, present in the Sacrament of the Altar, in which she discovers the full manifestation of his boundless love.
Click To Read It All
12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, 3 his disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
13 He sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. 4 Follow him.
14 Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'
15 Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there."
16 The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
22 While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body."
23 Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
24 He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.
25 Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
26 Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
--------
I've skipped forward to Sunday's reading, which is Mark's account of the institution of the Eucharist.
This is our identity as Catholics. The Catechism calls the Eucharist the "source and summit" of our faith. Indeed, all paths lead here for us. We believe that the Eucharist is the physical body and blood of Christ. We have the opportunity to receive this every day, and we have the opportunity to sit directly before Jesus in Adoration any time we want, 24 hours per day.
I'll leave the rest to someone smarter than me.
-----------
ENCYCLICAL LETTERECCLESIA DE EUCHARISTIA
OF HIS HOLINESSPOPE JOHN PAUL II
TO THE BISHOPS PRIESTS AND DEACONS, MEN AND WOMEN IN THE CONSECRATED LIFE, AND ALL THE LAY FAITHFUL ON THE EUCHARIST IN ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHURCH
April 17, 2003
1. The Church draws her life from the Eucharist. This truth does not simply express a daily experience of faith, but recapitulates the heart of the mystery of the Church. In a variety of ways she joyfully experiences the constant fulfilment of the promise: “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20), but in the Holy Eucharist, through the changing of bread and wine into the body and blood of the Lord, she rejoices in this presence with unique intensity. Ever since Pentecost, when the Church, the People of the New Covenant, began her pilgrim journey towards her heavenly homeland, the Divine Sacrament has continued to mark the passing of her days, filling them with confident hope.
The Second Vatican Council rightly proclaimed that the Eucharistic sacrifice is “the source and summit of the Christian life”.1 “For the most holy Eucharist contains the Church's entire spiritual wealth: Christ himself, our passover and living bread. Through his own flesh, now made living and life-giving by the Holy Spirit, he offers life to men”.2 Consequently the gaze of the Church is constantly turned to her Lord, present in the Sacrament of the Altar, in which she discovers the full manifestation of his boundless love.
Click To Read It All
Friday, May 1, 2009
Daily - May 1, 2009
I'm going to add the preceding verses to the Saturday gospel to help look at what is happening here.
John 6
53 Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
57 Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.
58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."
59 These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum
John 6:60-69 (Saturday gospel)
60 Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
61 Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you?
62 What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
63 It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
64 But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him.
65 And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father."
66 As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.
67 Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
68 Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
69 We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
------------------
Christ begins the dialogue with "Amen, amen I say to you," which means "This is truth." He tells the disciples that his flesh is TRUE food, and his blood is TRUE drink. That they must FEED on him.
He says he is the bread that came down from heaven. The ancestors ate manna, and they are dead. Those who feed on Jesus, though, will live forever. Look what happens next ... people leave. The teaching was too much for them to accept.
As I said yesterday, that process has been going on for 2,000 years. From the moment Christ said the words, people have objected to them, or have sought other meanings for them. The answer of the early church, however, was unanimous on the subject. Yesterday's message included some of its testimony.
------------
FOOTNOTE - Note in verse 63, Jesus says that it is the spirit who gives life, and the flesh is to no avail. There are many who interpret this to mean that the whole discourse is figurative. This was addressed by Chrysostom and Augustine 1,700 years ago, as explained by Aquinas 700 years ago:
992 Then (v 64), he settles the offense they took at what he said. And, as Chrysostom says, he distinguished two ways in which his words could be understood. And secondly, he showed which way was appropriate here (v 64b).
With respect to the first, we should note that Christ’s words can be understood in two senses: in a spiritual way, and in a material way. Thus he says, It is the spirit that gives life, that is, if you understand these words according to the spirit, i.e., according to their spiritual meaning, they will give life. Flesh profits nothing, that is, if you understand them in a material way, they will be of no benefit to you, they will, rather, be harmful, for “If you live according to the flesh you will die” (Rom 8:13).
What our Lord said about eating his flesh is interpreted in a material way when it is understood in its superficial meaning, and as pertaining to the nature of flesh. And it was in this way that the Jews understood them. But our Lord said that he would give himself to them as spiritual food, not as though the true flesh of Christ is not present in this sacrament of the altar, but because it is eaten in a certain spiritual and divine way. Thus, the correct meaning of these words is spiritual, not material.
So he says, The words that I have spoken to you, about eating my flesh, are spirit and life, that is, they have a spiritual meaning, and understood in this way they give life. And it is not surprising that they have a spiritual meaning, because they are from the Holy Spirit: “It is the Spirit who tells mysteries” (1 Cor 14:2). And therefore, the mysteries of Christ give life: “I will never forget your justifications, because through them you have brought me to life” (Ps 118:93).
993 Augustine explains this passage in a different way, for he understands the statement, flesh profits nothing, as referring to the flesh of Christ. It is obvious that the flesh of Christ, as united to the Word and to the Spirit, does profit very much and in every way; otherwise, the Word would have been made flesh in vain, and the Father would have made him known in the flesh in vain, as we see from 1 Timothy (c 4). And so we should say that it is the flesh of Christ, considered in itself, that profits nothing and does not have any more beneficial effect than other flesh.
For if his flesh is considered as separated from the divinity and the Holy Spirit, it does not have different power than other flesh. But if it is united to the Spirit and the divinity, it profits many, because it makes those who receive it abide in Christ, for man abides in God through the Spirit of love: “We know that we abide in God and God in us, because he has given us his Spirit” (1 Jn 4:13).
And this is what our Lord says: the effect I promise you, that is, eternal life, should not be attributed to my flesh as such, because understood in this way, flesh profits nothing. But my flesh does offer eternal life as united to the Spirit and to the divinity. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” “Gal 5:25). And so he adds, The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life, i.e., they must be understood of the Spirit united to my flesh; and so understood they are life, that is, the life of the soul. For as the body lives its bodily life through a bodily spirit, so the soul lives a spiritual life through the Holy Spirit: “Send forth your Spirit, and they will be created” (Ps 103:30).
Link: http://www.op-stjoseph.org/Students/study/thomas/John6.htm
John 6
53 Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
57 Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.
58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."
59 These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum
John 6:60-69 (Saturday gospel)
60 Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
61 Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you?
62 What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
63 It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
64 But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him.
65 And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father."
66 As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.
67 Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
68 Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
69 We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
------------------
Christ begins the dialogue with "Amen, amen I say to you," which means "This is truth." He tells the disciples that his flesh is TRUE food, and his blood is TRUE drink. That they must FEED on him.
He says he is the bread that came down from heaven. The ancestors ate manna, and they are dead. Those who feed on Jesus, though, will live forever. Look what happens next ... people leave. The teaching was too much for them to accept.
As I said yesterday, that process has been going on for 2,000 years. From the moment Christ said the words, people have objected to them, or have sought other meanings for them. The answer of the early church, however, was unanimous on the subject. Yesterday's message included some of its testimony.
------------
FOOTNOTE - Note in verse 63, Jesus says that it is the spirit who gives life, and the flesh is to no avail. There are many who interpret this to mean that the whole discourse is figurative. This was addressed by Chrysostom and Augustine 1,700 years ago, as explained by Aquinas 700 years ago:
992 Then (v 64), he settles the offense they took at what he said. And, as Chrysostom says, he distinguished two ways in which his words could be understood. And secondly, he showed which way was appropriate here (v 64b).
With respect to the first, we should note that Christ’s words can be understood in two senses: in a spiritual way, and in a material way. Thus he says, It is the spirit that gives life, that is, if you understand these words according to the spirit, i.e., according to their spiritual meaning, they will give life. Flesh profits nothing, that is, if you understand them in a material way, they will be of no benefit to you, they will, rather, be harmful, for “If you live according to the flesh you will die” (Rom 8:13).
What our Lord said about eating his flesh is interpreted in a material way when it is understood in its superficial meaning, and as pertaining to the nature of flesh. And it was in this way that the Jews understood them. But our Lord said that he would give himself to them as spiritual food, not as though the true flesh of Christ is not present in this sacrament of the altar, but because it is eaten in a certain spiritual and divine way. Thus, the correct meaning of these words is spiritual, not material.
So he says, The words that I have spoken to you, about eating my flesh, are spirit and life, that is, they have a spiritual meaning, and understood in this way they give life. And it is not surprising that they have a spiritual meaning, because they are from the Holy Spirit: “It is the Spirit who tells mysteries” (1 Cor 14:2). And therefore, the mysteries of Christ give life: “I will never forget your justifications, because through them you have brought me to life” (Ps 118:93).
993 Augustine explains this passage in a different way, for he understands the statement, flesh profits nothing, as referring to the flesh of Christ. It is obvious that the flesh of Christ, as united to the Word and to the Spirit, does profit very much and in every way; otherwise, the Word would have been made flesh in vain, and the Father would have made him known in the flesh in vain, as we see from 1 Timothy (c 4). And so we should say that it is the flesh of Christ, considered in itself, that profits nothing and does not have any more beneficial effect than other flesh.
For if his flesh is considered as separated from the divinity and the Holy Spirit, it does not have different power than other flesh. But if it is united to the Spirit and the divinity, it profits many, because it makes those who receive it abide in Christ, for man abides in God through the Spirit of love: “We know that we abide in God and God in us, because he has given us his Spirit” (1 Jn 4:13).
And this is what our Lord says: the effect I promise you, that is, eternal life, should not be attributed to my flesh as such, because understood in this way, flesh profits nothing. But my flesh does offer eternal life as united to the Spirit and to the divinity. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” “Gal 5:25). And so he adds, The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life, i.e., they must be understood of the Spirit united to my flesh; and so understood they are life, that is, the life of the soul. For as the body lives its bodily life through a bodily spirit, so the soul lives a spiritual life through the Holy Spirit: “Send forth your Spirit, and they will be created” (Ps 103:30).
Link: http://www.op-stjoseph.org/Students/study/thomas/John6.htm
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Daily - 4/30/09
John 6:52-59
52 The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?"
53 Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
57 Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.
58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."
59 These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
------------
When Jesus says "Amen, Amen, I say to you ..." I think of Him as saying "Listen to me!" Other translations of this are "Verily, verily I say to you", or as the protestant NIV translation says, "I tell you the truth."
So here we have Christ saying, listen to me, I speak the truth. My flesh is TRUE FOOD. My blood is TRUE DRINK. The question of whether to believe he is speaking literally or figuratively has been going almost ever since he said those words.
From the very beginning, the Church teaching has been clear. Here is part of its testimony:
Ignatius of Antioch, direct pupil of St. John the Evangelist: Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how contrary their opinions are to the mind of God ... They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which that Father, in his goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes. Epistle to the Smyrnaeans, Chapter 6, 110 A.D.
Justin Martyr, pupil of Polycarp, direct pupil of St. John the Evangelist: Just as our Savior Jesus Christ was made flesh by the word of God and took on flesh and blood for our salvation, so also were we taught that the food, for which thanksgiving has been made through the word of prayer instituted by him, and from which our blood and flesh are nourished after the change, is the flesh of that Jesus who was made flesh. Indeed, the Apostles, in the records left by them which are called gospels, handed on that it was commanded to them in this manner: Jesus, having taken bread and given thanks said, ``Do this in memory of me, this is my body.'' Likewise, having taken the cup and given thanks, he said, ``This is my blood'', and he gave it to them alone. Apology, I.66-67, 2nd century.
St. Irenaeus of Lyons: If the body be not saved, then in fact, neither did the Lord redeem us with His Blood; and neither is the cup of the Eucharist the partaking of His Blood nor is the Bread which we break the partaking of His Body . . . He has declared the cup, a part of creation, to be His own Blood, from which He causes our blood to flow; and the bread, a part of creation, He has established as His own Body, from which He gives increase to our bodies. Against Heresies, [5,2,2] 180 A.D.
52 The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?"
53 Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
57 Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.
58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."
59 These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
------------
When Jesus says "Amen, Amen, I say to you ..." I think of Him as saying "Listen to me!" Other translations of this are "Verily, verily I say to you", or as the protestant NIV translation says, "I tell you the truth."
So here we have Christ saying, listen to me, I speak the truth. My flesh is TRUE FOOD. My blood is TRUE DRINK. The question of whether to believe he is speaking literally or figuratively has been going almost ever since he said those words.
From the very beginning, the Church teaching has been clear. Here is part of its testimony:
Ignatius of Antioch, direct pupil of St. John the Evangelist: Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how contrary their opinions are to the mind of God ... They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which that Father, in his goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes. Epistle to the Smyrnaeans, Chapter 6, 110 A.D.
Justin Martyr, pupil of Polycarp, direct pupil of St. John the Evangelist: Just as our Savior Jesus Christ was made flesh by the word of God and took on flesh and blood for our salvation, so also were we taught that the food, for which thanksgiving has been made through the word of prayer instituted by him, and from which our blood and flesh are nourished after the change, is the flesh of that Jesus who was made flesh. Indeed, the Apostles, in the records left by them which are called gospels, handed on that it was commanded to them in this manner: Jesus, having taken bread and given thanks said, ``Do this in memory of me, this is my body.'' Likewise, having taken the cup and given thanks, he said, ``This is my blood'', and he gave it to them alone. Apology, I.66-67, 2nd century.
St. Irenaeus of Lyons: If the body be not saved, then in fact, neither did the Lord redeem us with His Blood; and neither is the cup of the Eucharist the partaking of His Blood nor is the Bread which we break the partaking of His Body . . . He has declared the cup, a part of creation, to be His own Blood, from which He causes our blood to flow; and the bread, a part of creation, He has established as His own Body, from which He gives increase to our bodies. Against Heresies, [5,2,2] 180 A.D.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Daily - 4/29/09
John 6:44-51
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets: 'They shall all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.
47 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
48 I am the bread of life.
49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
50 this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."
------------
Short on time here, all I can do is pass this on. Here's what Aquinas says. This is an intense read, but it's worth it.
Aquinas commentary on John 6: http://www.op-stjoseph.org/Students/study/thomas/John6.htm
957 He said, I am the living bread; consequently, I can give life. Material bread does not give life forever, because it does not have life in itself; but it gives life by being changed and converted into nourishment by the energy of a living organism. That has come down from heaven: it was explained before [4671 how the Word came down. This refuted those heresies which taught that Christ was a mere man, because according to them, he would not have come down from heaven.
958 He has the power to give eternal life; thus he says, If anyone eats of this bread, i.e., spiritually, he will live, not only in the present through faith and justice, but forever. “Everyone who lives and believes in me, will never die” (below 11:26).
959 He then speaks of his body when he says, And the bread which I will give is my flesh. For he had said that he was the living bread; and so that we do not think that he is such so far as he is the Word or in his soul alone, he shows that even his flesh is life-giving, for it is an instrument of his divinity. Thus, since an instrument acts by virtue of the agent, then just as the divinity of Christ is lifegiving, so too his flesh gives life (as Damascene says) because of the Word to which it is united. Thus Christ healed the sick by his touch. So what he said above, I am the living bread, pertained to the power of the Word; but what he is saying here pertains to the sharing in his body, that is, to the sacrament of the Eucharist.
960 We can consider four things about this sacrament: its species, the authority of the one who instituted it, the truth of this sacrament, and its usefulness.As to the species of this sacrament: This is the bread; “Come, and eat my bread” (Prv 9:5). The reason for this is that this is the sacrament of the body of Christ; but the body of Christ is the Church, which arises out of many believers forming a bodily unity: “We are one body” (Rom 12:5). And so because bread is formed from many grains, it is a fitting species for this sacrament. Hence he says, And the bread which I will give is my flesh.
961 The author of this sacrament is Christ: for although the priest confers it, it is Christ himself who gives the power to this sacrament, because the priest consecrates in the person of Christ. Thus in the other sacraments the priest uses his own words or those of the Church, but in this sacrament he uses the words of Christ: because just as Christ gave his body to death by his own will, so it is by his own power that he gives himself as food: “Jesus took bread, he blessed it and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: ‘Take and eat it, this is my body’ “ (Mt 26:26). Thus he says, which I will give; and he says, will give, because this sacrament had not yet been instituted.
962 The truth of this sacrament is indicated when he says, is my flesh. He does not say, “This signifies my flesh,” but it is my flesh, for in reality that which is taken is truly the body of Christ: “Who will give us his flesh so that we may be satisfied?” as we read in Job (31:3 1).Since the whole Christ is contained in this sacrament, why did he just say, this is my flesh? To answer this, we should note that in this mystical sacrament the whole Christ is really contained: but his body is there by virtue of the conversion; while his soul and divinity are present by natural concomitance. For if we were to suppose whal is really inipossible, that is, that the divinity of Christ is separated from his body, then his divinity would not be present in this sacrament. Similarly, if someone had consecrated during the three days Christ was dead, his soul would not have been present there [in the sacrament], but his body would have been, as it was on the cross or in the tomb. Since this sacrament is the commemoration of our Lord’s passion—according to “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord” (1 Cor 11:26)—and the passion of Christ depended on his weakness—according to “He was crucified through weakness” (2 Cor 13:4)—he rather says, is my flesh, to suggest the weakness through which he died, for “flesh” signifies weakness.
963 The usefulness of this sacrament is great and universal. It is great, indeed, because it produces spiritual life within us now, and will later produce eternal life, as was said. For as is clear from what was said, since this is the sacrament of our Lord’s passion, it contains in itself the Christ who suffered. Thus, whatever is an effect of our Lord’s passion is also an effect of this sacrament. For this sacrament is nothing other than the application of our Lord’s passion to us. For it was not fitting for Christ to be always with us in his own presence; and so he wanted to make up for this absence through this sacrament. Hence it is clear that the destruction of death, which Christ accomplished by his death, and the restoration of life, which he accomplished by his resurrection, are effects of this sacrament.
964 The usefulness of this sacrament is universal because the life it gives is not only the life of one person, but, so far as concerns itself, the life of the entire world: and for this the death of Christ is fully sufficient. “He is the offering for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the entire world” (1 Jn 2:2).We should note that this sacrament is different from the others: for the other sacraments have individual effects: as in baptism, only the one baptized receives grace. But in the immolation of this sacrament, the effect is universal: because it affects not just the priest, but also those for whom he prays, as well as the entire Church, of the living and of the dead. The reason for this is that it contains the universal cause of all the sacraments, Christ. Nevertheless, when a lay person receives this sacrament it does not benefit others ex opere operato [by its own power] considered as a receiving. However, due to the intention of the person who is acting and receiving, it can be communicated to all those to whom he directs his intention. It is clear from this that lay persons are mistaken when they receive the Eucharist for those in purgatory.
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets: 'They shall all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.
47 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
48 I am the bread of life.
49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
50 this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."
------------
Short on time here, all I can do is pass this on. Here's what Aquinas says. This is an intense read, but it's worth it.
Aquinas commentary on John 6: http://www.op-stjoseph.org/Students/study/thomas/John6.htm
957 He said, I am the living bread; consequently, I can give life. Material bread does not give life forever, because it does not have life in itself; but it gives life by being changed and converted into nourishment by the energy of a living organism. That has come down from heaven: it was explained before [4671 how the Word came down. This refuted those heresies which taught that Christ was a mere man, because according to them, he would not have come down from heaven.
958 He has the power to give eternal life; thus he says, If anyone eats of this bread, i.e., spiritually, he will live, not only in the present through faith and justice, but forever. “Everyone who lives and believes in me, will never die” (below 11:26).
959 He then speaks of his body when he says, And the bread which I will give is my flesh. For he had said that he was the living bread; and so that we do not think that he is such so far as he is the Word or in his soul alone, he shows that even his flesh is life-giving, for it is an instrument of his divinity. Thus, since an instrument acts by virtue of the agent, then just as the divinity of Christ is lifegiving, so too his flesh gives life (as Damascene says) because of the Word to which it is united. Thus Christ healed the sick by his touch. So what he said above, I am the living bread, pertained to the power of the Word; but what he is saying here pertains to the sharing in his body, that is, to the sacrament of the Eucharist.
960 We can consider four things about this sacrament: its species, the authority of the one who instituted it, the truth of this sacrament, and its usefulness.As to the species of this sacrament: This is the bread; “Come, and eat my bread” (Prv 9:5). The reason for this is that this is the sacrament of the body of Christ; but the body of Christ is the Church, which arises out of many believers forming a bodily unity: “We are one body” (Rom 12:5). And so because bread is formed from many grains, it is a fitting species for this sacrament. Hence he says, And the bread which I will give is my flesh.
961 The author of this sacrament is Christ: for although the priest confers it, it is Christ himself who gives the power to this sacrament, because the priest consecrates in the person of Christ. Thus in the other sacraments the priest uses his own words or those of the Church, but in this sacrament he uses the words of Christ: because just as Christ gave his body to death by his own will, so it is by his own power that he gives himself as food: “Jesus took bread, he blessed it and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: ‘Take and eat it, this is my body’ “ (Mt 26:26). Thus he says, which I will give; and he says, will give, because this sacrament had not yet been instituted.
962 The truth of this sacrament is indicated when he says, is my flesh. He does not say, “This signifies my flesh,” but it is my flesh, for in reality that which is taken is truly the body of Christ: “Who will give us his flesh so that we may be satisfied?” as we read in Job (31:3 1).Since the whole Christ is contained in this sacrament, why did he just say, this is my flesh? To answer this, we should note that in this mystical sacrament the whole Christ is really contained: but his body is there by virtue of the conversion; while his soul and divinity are present by natural concomitance. For if we were to suppose whal is really inipossible, that is, that the divinity of Christ is separated from his body, then his divinity would not be present in this sacrament. Similarly, if someone had consecrated during the three days Christ was dead, his soul would not have been present there [in the sacrament], but his body would have been, as it was on the cross or in the tomb. Since this sacrament is the commemoration of our Lord’s passion—according to “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord” (1 Cor 11:26)—and the passion of Christ depended on his weakness—according to “He was crucified through weakness” (2 Cor 13:4)—he rather says, is my flesh, to suggest the weakness through which he died, for “flesh” signifies weakness.
963 The usefulness of this sacrament is great and universal. It is great, indeed, because it produces spiritual life within us now, and will later produce eternal life, as was said. For as is clear from what was said, since this is the sacrament of our Lord’s passion, it contains in itself the Christ who suffered. Thus, whatever is an effect of our Lord’s passion is also an effect of this sacrament. For this sacrament is nothing other than the application of our Lord’s passion to us. For it was not fitting for Christ to be always with us in his own presence; and so he wanted to make up for this absence through this sacrament. Hence it is clear that the destruction of death, which Christ accomplished by his death, and the restoration of life, which he accomplished by his resurrection, are effects of this sacrament.
964 The usefulness of this sacrament is universal because the life it gives is not only the life of one person, but, so far as concerns itself, the life of the entire world: and for this the death of Christ is fully sufficient. “He is the offering for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the entire world” (1 Jn 2:2).We should note that this sacrament is different from the others: for the other sacraments have individual effects: as in baptism, only the one baptized receives grace. But in the immolation of this sacrament, the effect is universal: because it affects not just the priest, but also those for whom he prays, as well as the entire Church, of the living and of the dead. The reason for this is that it contains the universal cause of all the sacraments, Christ. Nevertheless, when a lay person receives this sacrament it does not benefit others ex opere operato [by its own power] considered as a receiving. However, due to the intention of the person who is acting and receiving, it can be communicated to all those to whom he directs his intention. It is clear from this that lay persons are mistaken when they receive the Eucharist for those in purgatory.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Daily - 4/28/09
John 6:35-40
35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
36 But I told you that although you have seen (me), you do not believe.
37 Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
38 because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me.
39 And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it (on) the last day.
40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him (on) the last day."
-----------
This continues the Bread of Life discourse, and goes directly to the core of Christianity. All Christians, catholic and protestant, profess this. Faith begins right here. Everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and will be raised on the last day.
I have more to say but what I'd really like is to discuss the dialogue as a whole. The gospels for the next two days will complete the dialogue, we'll talk about it then. Until then, here's what the dust says.
AUGUSTINE (4th - 5th century): He does not say, That you believe Him, but, that you believe in Him. For the devils believed Him, and did not believe in Him; and we believe Paul, but do not believe in Paul. To believe in Him is believing to love, believing to honor Him, believing to go to Him, and be made members incorporate of His Body. The faith, which God requires of us, is that which works by love. Faith indeed is distinguished from works by the Apostle, who says, That man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. But the works indeed which appear good, without faith in Christ, are not really so, not being referred to that end, which makes them good. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes. And therefore our Lord would not separate faith from works, but said that faith itself was the doing the work of God; He said not, This is your work, but, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him: in order that he that glories might glory in the Lord.
35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
36 But I told you that although you have seen (me), you do not believe.
37 Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
38 because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me.
39 And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it (on) the last day.
40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him (on) the last day."
-----------
This continues the Bread of Life discourse, and goes directly to the core of Christianity. All Christians, catholic and protestant, profess this. Faith begins right here. Everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and will be raised on the last day.
I have more to say but what I'd really like is to discuss the dialogue as a whole. The gospels for the next two days will complete the dialogue, we'll talk about it then. Until then, here's what the dust says.
AUGUSTINE (4th - 5th century): He does not say, That you believe Him, but, that you believe in Him. For the devils believed Him, and did not believe in Him; and we believe Paul, but do not believe in Paul. To believe in Him is believing to love, believing to honor Him, believing to go to Him, and be made members incorporate of His Body. The faith, which God requires of us, is that which works by love. Faith indeed is distinguished from works by the Apostle, who says, That man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. But the works indeed which appear good, without faith in Christ, are not really so, not being referred to that end, which makes them good. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes. And therefore our Lord would not separate faith from works, but said that faith itself was the doing the work of God; He said not, This is your work, but, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him: in order that he that glories might glory in the Lord.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Daily - 4/27/09
John 6:30-35 (Tuesday gospel)
30 So they said to him, "What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do?
31 Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
32 So Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
34 So they said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."
35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
------------
As Catholics, the Eucharist is our identity. It is what separates us from all other Christians.
I've been diving into the mysteries of the Eucharist over the past few months. I'd read about saints hungering for the bread of life, and literally not able to tolerate a single day without receiving it. When I'd read something like that, I felt like I was really missing out on something spectacular. Quite frankly, I had respect for the Eucharist, but my experience at mass for the most part depended on who was giving the homily, what was the topic, and whether or not that touched me personally.
I wanted that to change. So the first thing I did in response to that question was to take it to God. Heavenly Father, I prayed, show me what you want me to know about the Eucharist. Before long I was presented with two books, both of which came to me completely by chance. Here are links to both of them:
http://www.amazon.com/7-Secrets-Eucharist-Vinny-Flynn/dp/1884479316
http://www.amazon.com/Source-Summit-Spiritual-Guides-Eucharist/dp/081890979X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240849328&sr=1-5
As I started receiving these books, I saw descriptions of how the great mystic saints -- the likes of St. Catherine of Siena, St. Theresa of Avila, St. Faustina Kowalska, St. John of the Cross, and St. Therese the Little Flower -- saw the Eucharst. In their writings, they describe unbelievable transforming power. It was so compelling that I wanted "some of that." But how to get it?
Well, they had advice. The first and best advice is to PRAY. The Eucharist, they say, is a tremendous source of graces (IE, gifts from God). God wants to give us immeasurable graces, but we as individuals typically don't truly ask for them, and if we do, we typically don't adequately prepare ourselves to receive them. If we don't do that, we still receive graces, but far, far reduced from what God wants to give us. It is up to us to allow God to bring the Eucharist to life in our own lives.
All that sounds good so far. What I then wanted to know was ... how? Go figure, the books had suggestions.
- Believe in the Real Presence.
- Come to mass in a state of grace (i.e., go to confession OFTEN).
- Before mass, place yourself in the presence of God.
- Lay your heart open to Him, examine your conscience, and confess any sins you have.
- Understand that Communion means full union with the Triune God (IE, father, son, and spirit), the heavenly host of saints and angels, and with the Church on earth.
- Ask God to give you the graces he so desires to give you
- Offer yourself to Him to be transformed.
My personal testimony to you that I have started to do this, and it has changed my life. I no longer care who's saying mass. I ask God to help me learn what He wants me to learn from the Homily, and I move on to the main course, which is to be transformed by Christ in the Eucharist.
30 So they said to him, "What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do?
31 Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
32 So Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
34 So they said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."
35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
------------
As Catholics, the Eucharist is our identity. It is what separates us from all other Christians.
I've been diving into the mysteries of the Eucharist over the past few months. I'd read about saints hungering for the bread of life, and literally not able to tolerate a single day without receiving it. When I'd read something like that, I felt like I was really missing out on something spectacular. Quite frankly, I had respect for the Eucharist, but my experience at mass for the most part depended on who was giving the homily, what was the topic, and whether or not that touched me personally.
I wanted that to change. So the first thing I did in response to that question was to take it to God. Heavenly Father, I prayed, show me what you want me to know about the Eucharist. Before long I was presented with two books, both of which came to me completely by chance. Here are links to both of them:
http://www.amazon.com/7-Secrets-Eucharist-Vinny-Flynn/dp/1884479316
http://www.amazon.com/Source-Summit-Spiritual-Guides-Eucharist/dp/081890979X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240849328&sr=1-5
As I started receiving these books, I saw descriptions of how the great mystic saints -- the likes of St. Catherine of Siena, St. Theresa of Avila, St. Faustina Kowalska, St. John of the Cross, and St. Therese the Little Flower -- saw the Eucharst. In their writings, they describe unbelievable transforming power. It was so compelling that I wanted "some of that." But how to get it?
Well, they had advice. The first and best advice is to PRAY. The Eucharist, they say, is a tremendous source of graces (IE, gifts from God). God wants to give us immeasurable graces, but we as individuals typically don't truly ask for them, and if we do, we typically don't adequately prepare ourselves to receive them. If we don't do that, we still receive graces, but far, far reduced from what God wants to give us. It is up to us to allow God to bring the Eucharist to life in our own lives.
All that sounds good so far. What I then wanted to know was ... how? Go figure, the books had suggestions.
- Believe in the Real Presence.
- Come to mass in a state of grace (i.e., go to confession OFTEN).
- Before mass, place yourself in the presence of God.
- Lay your heart open to Him, examine your conscience, and confess any sins you have.
- Understand that Communion means full union with the Triune God (IE, father, son, and spirit), the heavenly host of saints and angels, and with the Church on earth.
- Ask God to give you the graces he so desires to give you
- Offer yourself to Him to be transformed.
My personal testimony to you that I have started to do this, and it has changed my life. I no longer care who's saying mass. I ask God to help me learn what He wants me to learn from the Homily, and I move on to the main course, which is to be transformed by Christ in the Eucharist.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Daily - 4/17/09
Acts 4:13-21
13 Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, they were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus.
14 Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them, they could say nothing in reply.
15 So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, and conferred with one another, saying,
16 "What are we to do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign was done through them, and we cannot deny it.
17 But so that it may not be spread any further among the people, let us give them a stern warning never again to speak to anyone in this name."
18 So they called them back and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19 Peter and John, however, said to them in reply, "Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges.
20 It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard."
21 After threatening them further, they released them, finding no way to punish them, on account of the people who were all praising God for what had happened.
-------------
This follows from yesterday. We're still in front of the Sanhedrin, the same body that demanded Christ's execution. Looks like Annas is now the high priest, taking over from Caiaphas. These guys must have thought that their problem ended with killing Jesus. Now we have other men, normal and uneducated, preaching that salvation can only be found through Christ.
And they're not afraid of anything the Sanhedrin can do to them.
The words resonating with me this morning are those of Peter and John. "It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard." I may not have met Christ physically, and I may not have physically seen the risen body, but I most definitely HAVE seen and heard Him. I've read of Him in the Word, and meditated over it. I've encountered Christ one-on-one in prayer. I've received his absolution in Reconciliation. I've physically encountered Him in the Eucharist. I have consumed Him, just as He told me to do. He has transformed me, and He continues to transform me.
Think about that -- it puts me in the same place as Peter and John. I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears. The humbling question is this: in my own heart, am I like them? Is it impossible for me to be silent? If not, why not?
13 Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, they were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus.
14 Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them, they could say nothing in reply.
15 So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, and conferred with one another, saying,
16 "What are we to do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign was done through them, and we cannot deny it.
17 But so that it may not be spread any further among the people, let us give them a stern warning never again to speak to anyone in this name."
18 So they called them back and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19 Peter and John, however, said to them in reply, "Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges.
20 It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard."
21 After threatening them further, they released them, finding no way to punish them, on account of the people who were all praising God for what had happened.
-------------
This follows from yesterday. We're still in front of the Sanhedrin, the same body that demanded Christ's execution. Looks like Annas is now the high priest, taking over from Caiaphas. These guys must have thought that their problem ended with killing Jesus. Now we have other men, normal and uneducated, preaching that salvation can only be found through Christ.
And they're not afraid of anything the Sanhedrin can do to them.
The words resonating with me this morning are those of Peter and John. "It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard." I may not have met Christ physically, and I may not have physically seen the risen body, but I most definitely HAVE seen and heard Him. I've read of Him in the Word, and meditated over it. I've encountered Christ one-on-one in prayer. I've received his absolution in Reconciliation. I've physically encountered Him in the Eucharist. I have consumed Him, just as He told me to do. He has transformed me, and He continues to transform me.
Think about that -- it puts me in the same place as Peter and John. I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears. The humbling question is this: in my own heart, am I like them? Is it impossible for me to be silent? If not, why not?
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Daily - 4/14/09
Luke 24:13-35 - Wednesday gospel
13 Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
14 and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
15 And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
16 but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?" They stopped, looking downcast.
18 One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?"
19 And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
20 how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him.
21 But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place.
22 Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning
23 and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive.
24 Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see."
25 And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"
27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
29 But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
30 And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.
31 With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.
32 Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?"
33 So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them
34 who were saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"
35 Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
--------------
Their eyes were prevented from recognizing them, but it was revealed through the breaking of the bread. From the earliest times of the Church, this has been viewed as a demonstration of the power of the Eucharist. Here's some "dust" from Aquinas' Catena Aurea:
ST. GREGORY THE GREAT (7th century). Now behold Christ since He is received
through His members, so He seeks His receivers through Himself; for it follows, And he went in with them. They lay out a table, they bring food. And God whom they had not known in the expounding of Scriptures, they knew in the breaking of bread; for it follows, And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and broke, and gave it to
them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him.
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (4th century). This was said not of their bodily eyes,
but of their mental sight.
ST. AUGUSTINE (4th century). For they walked not with their eyes shut, but there was something within them which did not permit them to know that which they saw, which a mist, darkness, or some kind of moisture, frequently occasions. Not that the Lord was not able to Transform His flesh that it should be really a different form from that which they were accustomed to behold; since in truth also before His passion, He was transfigured in the
mount, so that His face was bright as the sun. But it was not so now. For we do not unfitly take this obstacle in the sight to have been caused by Satan, that Jesus might not be known. But still it was so permitted by Christ up to the sacrament of the bread, that by partaking of the unity of His body, the obstacle of the enemy might be understood to be removed, so that Christ might be known.
THEOPHYLACT (12th century). But He also implies another thing, that the eyes of those who receive the sacred bread are opened that they should know Christ. For the Lord’s flesh has in it a great and ineffable power.
The Church considers the Eucharist the "Source and Summit" of our faith. It's important to know what the Church means by this. Here's a link to "the horse's mouth":
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a3.htm
13 Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
14 and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
15 And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
16 but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?" They stopped, looking downcast.
18 One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?"
19 And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
20 how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him.
21 But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place.
22 Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning
23 and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive.
24 Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see."
25 And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"
27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
29 But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
30 And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.
31 With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.
32 Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?"
33 So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them
34 who were saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"
35 Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
--------------
Their eyes were prevented from recognizing them, but it was revealed through the breaking of the bread. From the earliest times of the Church, this has been viewed as a demonstration of the power of the Eucharist. Here's some "dust" from Aquinas' Catena Aurea:
ST. GREGORY THE GREAT (7th century). Now behold Christ since He is received
through His members, so He seeks His receivers through Himself; for it follows, And he went in with them. They lay out a table, they bring food. And God whom they had not known in the expounding of Scriptures, they knew in the breaking of bread; for it follows, And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and broke, and gave it to
them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him.
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (4th century). This was said not of their bodily eyes,
but of their mental sight.
ST. AUGUSTINE (4th century). For they walked not with their eyes shut, but there was something within them which did not permit them to know that which they saw, which a mist, darkness, or some kind of moisture, frequently occasions. Not that the Lord was not able to Transform His flesh that it should be really a different form from that which they were accustomed to behold; since in truth also before His passion, He was transfigured in the
mount, so that His face was bright as the sun. But it was not so now. For we do not unfitly take this obstacle in the sight to have been caused by Satan, that Jesus might not be known. But still it was so permitted by Christ up to the sacrament of the bread, that by partaking of the unity of His body, the obstacle of the enemy might be understood to be removed, so that Christ might be known.
THEOPHYLACT (12th century). But He also implies another thing, that the eyes of those who receive the sacred bread are opened that they should know Christ. For the Lord’s flesh has in it a great and ineffable power.
The Church considers the Eucharist the "Source and Summit" of our faith. It's important to know what the Church means by this. Here's a link to "the horse's mouth":
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a3.htm
Monday, April 13, 2009
Daily - 4/13/09
John 20:11-18 (Tues gospel)
11 But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
12 and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been.
13 And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him."
14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him."
16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher.
17 Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
18 Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and what he told her.
---------------
(relying heavily on Barclay again this morning)
Mary Magdalene had great love for Christ. According to tradition, she was an adulteress and perhaps even a prostitute. Her belief in Christ completely liberated her from that life, and she owed everything to Him.
In Palestine it was a tradition for family and loved ones to visit a grave for three days. So Mary, who loved Jesus so dearly, came ... and was bewildered with what she saw. Her Lord was gone. She didn't know what to do. She ran to John and Peter, and they outran her to the tomb. They see, believe, and run off. Mary either arrives after them or is left alone by them; regardless, she stands alone, not yet understanding. She thinks the body has been taken.
To Mary comes the great grace of being the first to see the risen Christ. But because of her racing mind, her tears, and her great grief she doesn't recognize Him.
Sound familiar? It does to me.
I'm pretty good at putting barriers between myself and Christ, to the point where I cannot see him. There are a lot of reasons for that, but pride is usually the biggest one. I'm too busy with my own stuff. Job, wife, kids, making a living, what will happen on the next episode of "24", Nebraska football, birdwatching, my son's baseball team, my ridiculously bad golf game, catching fish ... the list is endless. At times, I'll put any or ALL of those things in front of Christ.
I know we all do it, but just spend a minute thinking about that. He is risen! The Risen Lord is right here, in front of us. He's given us his own body and blood through the Eucharist, which transforms us into the people He wants us to be. We just need to fully reach out and take that gift.
And there's the rub -- we get so caught up in "the world" tht we close our minds, hearts, and souls to the great graces that He wants to give us. Thank goodness that, just like with Mary, Christ calls us out of our fog, and says, "Look at me, I'm right here in front of you."
11 But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
12 and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been.
13 And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him."
14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him."
16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher.
17 Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
18 Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and what he told her.
---------------
(relying heavily on Barclay again this morning)
Mary Magdalene had great love for Christ. According to tradition, she was an adulteress and perhaps even a prostitute. Her belief in Christ completely liberated her from that life, and she owed everything to Him.
In Palestine it was a tradition for family and loved ones to visit a grave for three days. So Mary, who loved Jesus so dearly, came ... and was bewildered with what she saw. Her Lord was gone. She didn't know what to do. She ran to John and Peter, and they outran her to the tomb. They see, believe, and run off. Mary either arrives after them or is left alone by them; regardless, she stands alone, not yet understanding. She thinks the body has been taken.
To Mary comes the great grace of being the first to see the risen Christ. But because of her racing mind, her tears, and her great grief she doesn't recognize Him.
Sound familiar? It does to me.
I'm pretty good at putting barriers between myself and Christ, to the point where I cannot see him. There are a lot of reasons for that, but pride is usually the biggest one. I'm too busy with my own stuff. Job, wife, kids, making a living, what will happen on the next episode of "24", Nebraska football, birdwatching, my son's baseball team, my ridiculously bad golf game, catching fish ... the list is endless. At times, I'll put any or ALL of those things in front of Christ.
I know we all do it, but just spend a minute thinking about that. He is risen! The Risen Lord is right here, in front of us. He's given us his own body and blood through the Eucharist, which transforms us into the people He wants us to be. We just need to fully reach out and take that gift.
And there's the rub -- we get so caught up in "the world" tht we close our minds, hearts, and souls to the great graces that He wants to give us. Thank goodness that, just like with Mary, Christ calls us out of our fog, and says, "Look at me, I'm right here in front of you."
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Daily - 4/2/09
John 10:31-42 (Friday's gospel)
31 The Jews again picked up rocks to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?"
33 The Jews answered him, "We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God."
34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'?
35 If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and scripture cannot be set aside,
36 can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
37 If I do not perform my Father's works, do not believe me;
38 but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize (and understand) that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."
39 (Then) they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power.
40 He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
41 Many came to him and said, "John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true."
42 And many there began to believe in him.
--------------
Today we move from the end of John 8 to the middle of John 10, moving ahead a couple of months. I highly recommend reading John 9 and the first half of 10 to fill in the gaps in the story. As today's reading begins, we've got guys picking up rocks again. If we back up a few verses we can see why.
22 The feast of the Dedication was then taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter.
23 And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon.
24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."
25 Jesus answered them, "I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name testify to me.
26 But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
27 My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand.
30 The Father and I are one."
Christ is asked point blank if he is the Messiah. His answer is consistent with what we say in John 8 -- his actions have told them the answer. Christ has healed the blind, healed the sick, and raised the dead (he's already done it once in John, and we haven't gotten to Lazarus yet). These were all Old Testament prophecies of the works of the Messiah.
Christ told them by his actions and his divine teaching. He didn't ask them to take his word for it -- he SHOWED them. By his fruit, he is known.
Lent is a time for us to examine ourselves in this way, and return to the Redeemer. By OUR fruits we are known. One way to monitor your own daily walk is to look at your fruits. If they aren't the fruits of the spirit -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) -- something might be off-kilter.
What do we do then? Back to the basics -- prayer, Reconciliation, and the Eucharist
31 The Jews again picked up rocks to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?"
33 The Jews answered him, "We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God."
34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'?
35 If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and scripture cannot be set aside,
36 can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
37 If I do not perform my Father's works, do not believe me;
38 but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize (and understand) that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."
39 (Then) they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power.
40 He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
41 Many came to him and said, "John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true."
42 And many there began to believe in him.
--------------
Today we move from the end of John 8 to the middle of John 10, moving ahead a couple of months. I highly recommend reading John 9 and the first half of 10 to fill in the gaps in the story. As today's reading begins, we've got guys picking up rocks again. If we back up a few verses we can see why.
22 The feast of the Dedication was then taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter.
23 And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon.
24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."
25 Jesus answered them, "I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name testify to me.
26 But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
27 My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand.
30 The Father and I are one."
Christ is asked point blank if he is the Messiah. His answer is consistent with what we say in John 8 -- his actions have told them the answer. Christ has healed the blind, healed the sick, and raised the dead (he's already done it once in John, and we haven't gotten to Lazarus yet). These were all Old Testament prophecies of the works of the Messiah.
Christ told them by his actions and his divine teaching. He didn't ask them to take his word for it -- he SHOWED them. By his fruit, he is known.
Lent is a time for us to examine ourselves in this way, and return to the Redeemer. By OUR fruits we are known. One way to monitor your own daily walk is to look at your fruits. If they aren't the fruits of the spirit -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) -- something might be off-kilter.
What do we do then? Back to the basics -- prayer, Reconciliation, and the Eucharist
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Daily - 1/15/09
1 Samuel 3:1-11
1 During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli, a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.
2 One day Eli was asleep in his usual place. His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
3 The lamp of God was not yet extinguished, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was.
4 The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, "Here I am."
5 He ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me." "I did not call you," Eli said. "Go back to sleep." So he went back to sleep.
6 Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. "Here I am," he said. "You called me." But he answered, "I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep."
7 At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD, because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
8 The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, "Here I am. You called me." Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
9 So he said to Samuel, "Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
10 the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, "Samuel, Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
-----------------------------
This is the bulk of the first reading for this coming Sunday.
We had a great discussion on this in the Wednesday night bible study. How does one discern God’s call? In the account above, Samuel was hearing something, but he couldn’t tell what it was. He needed to hear the call several times before God got through to him, and he needed the help of Eli to understand what was actually going on. There were eight of us at the study last night, and every single one of us could relate to this experience.
We got to chatting about how we as individuals discern God’s call. One thing that came clear is that it works differently for each of us. That makes complete sense, because discernment is very personal and varies with the individual. However, a few common thoughts emerged from the discussion:
- Prayer – to understand God's will, we need to ask Him what it is. This occurs through prayer, concentrating on God, and listening for his words.
- Obedience and submission – to discern what God’s will is for us on an individual level, it seems pretty important to first commit to what has been written about God’s will for all of us. If we can’t commit to that, we’re going to struggle to get any further down the road.
- Sacraments – concentrating on the Eucharist and Reconciliation brings you closer to God, and helps get you in the right frame of mind.
- Trust – we need to trust that God’s will is right for us. This typically happens through experience, over time. We don’t come out of the box trusting God. It’s something that is typically tried little by little, and over time we gain more and more confidence.
1 During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli, a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.
2 One day Eli was asleep in his usual place. His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
3 The lamp of God was not yet extinguished, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was.
4 The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, "Here I am."
5 He ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me." "I did not call you," Eli said. "Go back to sleep." So he went back to sleep.
6 Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. "Here I am," he said. "You called me." But he answered, "I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep."
7 At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD, because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
8 The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, "Here I am. You called me." Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
9 So he said to Samuel, "Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
10 the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, "Samuel, Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
-----------------------------
This is the bulk of the first reading for this coming Sunday.
We had a great discussion on this in the Wednesday night bible study. How does one discern God’s call? In the account above, Samuel was hearing something, but he couldn’t tell what it was. He needed to hear the call several times before God got through to him, and he needed the help of Eli to understand what was actually going on. There were eight of us at the study last night, and every single one of us could relate to this experience.
We got to chatting about how we as individuals discern God’s call. One thing that came clear is that it works differently for each of us. That makes complete sense, because discernment is very personal and varies with the individual. However, a few common thoughts emerged from the discussion:
- Prayer – to understand God's will, we need to ask Him what it is. This occurs through prayer, concentrating on God, and listening for his words.
- Obedience and submission – to discern what God’s will is for us on an individual level, it seems pretty important to first commit to what has been written about God’s will for all of us. If we can’t commit to that, we’re going to struggle to get any further down the road.
- Sacraments – concentrating on the Eucharist and Reconciliation brings you closer to God, and helps get you in the right frame of mind.
- Trust – we need to trust that God’s will is right for us. This typically happens through experience, over time. We don’t come out of the box trusting God. It’s something that is typically tried little by little, and over time we gain more and more confidence.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Daily - 1/9/09
Ephesians 3:14-21
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
16 that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love,
18 may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.
Amen.
----------------
This is Paul praying for all of us to attain spiritual maturity – to “be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,” and to comprehend “the breadth and length and height and depth” of Christ’s love, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.
This is a description of the abundant life that Jesus came to give us (John 10:10). What do I need to do to get it? From above, it appears that I can’t get this on my own – I need to pray to have God give me this grace. My strategy is to let the Word enrich me, to strive for obedience, to pursue the sacraments regularly (i.e. Eucharist and reconciliation), and to pray for God to strengthen my inner self with his Spirit. The last part is undoubtedly a stumbling block for men, who are very much used to solving problems themselves. In this case though, Paul is clear. This abundance is granted from God, and I need to make myself available to Him.
---------------
Epilogue, 1/9/09 – This was written in June 2008. Six month later, I have to say that this strategy works pretty well for me. I’ve gotten to the point where I pray almost daily for God to increase my faith, and to help me make myself available to Him, so that I can do what he wants. I’ve learned several lessons in humility that have driven home the message that the spiritual things that happen in my life are God’s doing, not mine -- until the next time I need to be reminded.
My job is to remain in Him.
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
16 that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love,
18 may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.
Amen.
----------------
This is Paul praying for all of us to attain spiritual maturity – to “be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,” and to comprehend “the breadth and length and height and depth” of Christ’s love, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.
This is a description of the abundant life that Jesus came to give us (John 10:10). What do I need to do to get it? From above, it appears that I can’t get this on my own – I need to pray to have God give me this grace. My strategy is to let the Word enrich me, to strive for obedience, to pursue the sacraments regularly (i.e. Eucharist and reconciliation), and to pray for God to strengthen my inner self with his Spirit. The last part is undoubtedly a stumbling block for men, who are very much used to solving problems themselves. In this case though, Paul is clear. This abundance is granted from God, and I need to make myself available to Him.
---------------
Epilogue, 1/9/09 – This was written in June 2008. Six month later, I have to say that this strategy works pretty well for me. I’ve gotten to the point where I pray almost daily for God to increase my faith, and to help me make myself available to Him, so that I can do what he wants. I’ve learned several lessons in humility that have driven home the message that the spiritual things that happen in my life are God’s doing, not mine -- until the next time I need to be reminded.
My job is to remain in Him.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Daily - 11/21/08
James 4:7-10
7 So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds.
9 Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.
1 Peter 1:13-16
13 Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance
15 but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,
16 for it is written, "Be holy because I (am) holy."
James and Peter are speaking directly on the subject of submitting to God’s authority.
It isn't until one truly submits to God's authority that they even see the need for obedience. Until then, God’s commands are really just a list of good things to live by. Once one submits to God's authority, the light shines on the self, and you are able to see yourself (to the extent possible for a human) through God's eyes. And once that happens, the necessity of obedience becomes obvious – you can see with your own eyes how short you truly are of what can be, and the desire for obedience begins to grow.
Look at the verses from James. Submit to god, draw close to Him, and He will draw close to you. Purify your hearts, “you of two minds.” What are the two minds? For me, this is the state I was in when I was feeling God’s pull through scripture and prayer, but I wasn’t ready to make an “all in” commitment. I was beginning to see the truth, and “kind of” trying to follow God, but I wasn’t ready to put the flesh to death, and was holding on to the life I had.
I distinctly remember the day that I submitted to God’s authority. I was at Mass on a Sunday, and was really troubled about a couple of things. I knew that I had been resisting submission to God, and I knew that it was holding back my spiritual growth. But I also knew that submission meant obedience, and THAT meant letting go of some worldliness – habits and mindsets that were precious to me. I was afraid of letting go, because all I could think about was how much I was going to lose, of what I’d have to give up, of the fun I was going to miss, of the security I might miss, and of what people would think of me.
Submitting to God’s authority requires significant work on our part. It means knowing what the rules are, and committing to following them. Look at the verses above. Humble yourself. Do not act in the desires of your former ignorance. Live soberly. Cleanse your hearts. Purify your mind. That takes work, and it’s a lifelong process. I pray almost daily for God’s help along this road, and the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist are critical to this process for me.
It is a major spiritual struggle to take this step. But once I started, blessings flowed. I began to understand pieces of scripture that I just couldn’t comprehend before. Certain things that I’d been praying for months and even years started to happen. These daily emails changed from an intellectual exercise to something much more – an exploration of faith which has drawn me ever closer to God. I have developed a desire to make myself available to God, so that he can use me to share some of the things I’ve learned.
7 So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds.
9 Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.
1 Peter 1:13-16
13 Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance
15 but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,
16 for it is written, "Be holy because I (am) holy."
James and Peter are speaking directly on the subject of submitting to God’s authority.
It isn't until one truly submits to God's authority that they even see the need for obedience. Until then, God’s commands are really just a list of good things to live by. Once one submits to God's authority, the light shines on the self, and you are able to see yourself (to the extent possible for a human) through God's eyes. And once that happens, the necessity of obedience becomes obvious – you can see with your own eyes how short you truly are of what can be, and the desire for obedience begins to grow.
Look at the verses from James. Submit to god, draw close to Him, and He will draw close to you. Purify your hearts, “you of two minds.” What are the two minds? For me, this is the state I was in when I was feeling God’s pull through scripture and prayer, but I wasn’t ready to make an “all in” commitment. I was beginning to see the truth, and “kind of” trying to follow God, but I wasn’t ready to put the flesh to death, and was holding on to the life I had.
I distinctly remember the day that I submitted to God’s authority. I was at Mass on a Sunday, and was really troubled about a couple of things. I knew that I had been resisting submission to God, and I knew that it was holding back my spiritual growth. But I also knew that submission meant obedience, and THAT meant letting go of some worldliness – habits and mindsets that were precious to me. I was afraid of letting go, because all I could think about was how much I was going to lose, of what I’d have to give up, of the fun I was going to miss, of the security I might miss, and of what people would think of me.
Submitting to God’s authority requires significant work on our part. It means knowing what the rules are, and committing to following them. Look at the verses above. Humble yourself. Do not act in the desires of your former ignorance. Live soberly. Cleanse your hearts. Purify your mind. That takes work, and it’s a lifelong process. I pray almost daily for God’s help along this road, and the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist are critical to this process for me.
It is a major spiritual struggle to take this step. But once I started, blessings flowed. I began to understand pieces of scripture that I just couldn’t comprehend before. Certain things that I’d been praying for months and even years started to happen. These daily emails changed from an intellectual exercise to something much more – an exploration of faith which has drawn me ever closer to God. I have developed a desire to make myself available to God, so that he can use me to share some of the things I’ve learned.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Daily - 9/2/08
Romans 12:1-2
1 I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
2 Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.
-----------------
This was the second reading at Sunday’s mass. I’ve sent this out before, but I thought it was worth repeating.
Verse 2 describes discerning God's will. This is a key element in spiritual development -- to be able to understand what God is asking us to do. How do we go about doing that?
Verse 2 says that to discern the will of God, we must allow ourselves to be transformed by the renewal of mind. OK, how do I go about doing that?
I submit that part of the answer is verse 1 - submit our bodies as a living sacrifice, wholly and pleasing to God.
OK, how do I do that?
In my opinion, this means several things:
- Put sin to death as best we can by committing to obedience and remaining in Christ. Why? We know that sin is offensive to God, and if I don't make that commitment, I don't think I can be a sacrifice that is pleasing to God.
- Receive the sacraments of eucharist. There is no better way to transform ourselves than by inviting the Lord to transform our bodies.
- Receive the sacrament of reconciliation frequently. It is the tried and true process for putting sin to death. As we become more aware of our sins and confess them to God's minister we put sin to death in our lives. The process of confession, absolution, and penance separates us from sin and opens us up to the Spirit.
- Give control of our lives over to God. Paul tells us to offer ourselves as a sacrifice, which means we are transferring "ownership" to God. If you're unwilling to make this step, you're never going to be able to be transformed the way Paul is describing.
In my opinion, understanding these points are key to moving toward the abundant life that Christ offers to us.
1 I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
2 Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.
-----------------
This was the second reading at Sunday’s mass. I’ve sent this out before, but I thought it was worth repeating.
Verse 2 describes discerning God's will. This is a key element in spiritual development -- to be able to understand what God is asking us to do. How do we go about doing that?
Verse 2 says that to discern the will of God, we must allow ourselves to be transformed by the renewal of mind. OK, how do I go about doing that?
I submit that part of the answer is verse 1 - submit our bodies as a living sacrifice, wholly and pleasing to God.
OK, how do I do that?
In my opinion, this means several things:
- Put sin to death as best we can by committing to obedience and remaining in Christ. Why? We know that sin is offensive to God, and if I don't make that commitment, I don't think I can be a sacrifice that is pleasing to God.
- Receive the sacraments of eucharist. There is no better way to transform ourselves than by inviting the Lord to transform our bodies.
- Receive the sacrament of reconciliation frequently. It is the tried and true process for putting sin to death. As we become more aware of our sins and confess them to God's minister we put sin to death in our lives. The process of confession, absolution, and penance separates us from sin and opens us up to the Spirit.
- Give control of our lives over to God. Paul tells us to offer ourselves as a sacrifice, which means we are transferring "ownership" to God. If you're unwilling to make this step, you're never going to be able to be transformed the way Paul is describing.
In my opinion, understanding these points are key to moving toward the abundant life that Christ offers to us.
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