Lent 2
Jerusalem Jerusalem!
From the very moment of his conception, Jesus’ life was in danger.
As an unwed mother, Mary could legally have been stoned to death and her child with her.
The star that signaled Jesus’ birth appeared to the three kings as a promise but to King Herod the Great as a threat. King Herod plotted to kill the baby Jesus the moment he learned of his birth.
Jesus came to Earth as the fulness of divine love and holiness. Yet, as the nativity story tells us: there was no room. There was no room in the political and religious establishments for Jesus. There was no room in the human soul for Jesus. Jesus had to make the room. In order to make the room for people to receive him he first had to die.
From the second Jesus arose from the waters of baptism and heard the voice of his heavenly father declare: this is my Son, the Beloved, he knew he was on way to Jerusalem to die.
Why?
Other religious leaders before Jesus and since Jesus have preached about God. Most met criticism and opposition in some form. Only Jesus met, and continues to meet, open and virulent hostility and hatred. King Herod Agrippa, a son of King Herod the Great, plotted to kill Jesus during three years of Jesus’ public ministry. Yet, when he had the opportunity he declared Jesus innocent and sent him back to Pontus Pilate to judge.
Jesus’ closest friends swore they would fight to the death to protect him, yet they abandoned him on the night of his arrest.
The religious leaders wanted Jesus dead but lacked the authority to condemn him. The man who did condemn Jesus to die also declared him innocent.
There is a strange set of contradictory reactions surrounding Jesus that only Jesus himself understood. Jesus alone understood the dynamic of fear and faith and betrayal because Jesus alone understood the problem humanity faces.
The people in Jesus’ day thought their problem was a lack of political, religious and individual power. Jesus came to tell them and to reveal to them, and to us, that the problem is separation. The will to power that people seek to express is a consequence of separation. It is also a further problem that separation creates in the human will.
Jesus knew the problem because from his childhood he had studied the scriptures. He learned the way we learn. But, he learned in communion with His heavenly father, not in separation from the Father. He read, studied and memorized the scriptures from the place of faith, humility and surrender of self will to divine will.
Jesus’ friends and enemies betrayed Jesus to death because Jesus lived his life as the perfect mirror to the human soul.
In all of his teachings and miracles Jesus revealed the love and holiness of God. After only three years of Divine Love personally in their midst, the people who knew Jesus rejected him, abandoned him and demanded his execution.
Jesus removed the veil of self deceit from the human soul and revealed both Divine Nature, perfected human nature, and fallen human nature. To a lesser extent, the prophets had done the same and the record of scripture is that they met opposition.
There is too much time, effort and expectation invested in the institutions and culture human beings create for us to allow God in person to make any serious changes. The Divine Presence in Jesus Christ was and continues to be a threat to a species that has invested itself in the pursuit of possessions and power.
That is why even Jesus’ disciples attempt to redefine him. That is why every human culture that encounters Jesus rejects him. Some reject him outright and aggressively. Others, as with the disciples, ignore what he said and did and who he was. They attempt to redefine him by their own expectations and desires.
Redefining Jesus works for a time. Very quickly such redefinition fails. There is no element of truth in such a Jesus. In the end, that Jesus fades away and those who sought to redefine him to suit their own ideas of the Messiah are left with an empty shell devoid of meaning and purpose.
Jesus remained true to his nature and true to his character. He set his intent to fulfill the Plan of Salvation. He died in order to trap death. He suffered in order to capture sin. He embraced the cross as the only means to seal the breach of separation between humanity and divinity. Because his did this from love and through love, he transformed sin back into virtue, separation back into reunification, and death back into eternal life.
Jesus lamented over Jerusalem as he realized that the choices they were making would accomplish the very opposite of what they wanted. They wanted the power and the glory of conquest. Only forty years after the crucifixion and resurrection, Jerusalem would meet defeat and destruction.
Jesus had come to them with healing and wholeness and holiness. They rejected him as he knew they would. Yet, he still lamented over their choice. For Jesus is the love of God in human flesh. He loved the very people who tortured and killed him. He loved the city that in its pride and pursuit of power rejected him.
There was and is no other way. Divine love always must be a true gift that brings forth a real choice.
Jesus’ death on the cross for the sin of the human race opened the possibility for people to receive reunification with God as a gift. It is the only way a broken and lost humanity can reunite with God.
It is our choice. Jesus did not choose the way of conquest because that is the way of power. Jesus chose the way of grace because that is the way of love. Conquest leads to the disintegration of the human soul in the corrosive exercise of the will to power. Love, and only love, is eternal. Love sets the soul free to transform, expand, and to grow in endless grace.
Jesus lamented over Jerusalem because the people invited him to conquer and dominate them. Jesus lamented over Jerusalem because the people rejected the greater gift of divine love. The cross is the sign and the reality that love transforms. Love does not conquer.
In that sign and by that reality, humanity has an opportunity to make a different choice. It is a real choice. It is an eternal choice. Jesus has transformed death into life and fear into love. We only need to receive the gift he offers. As we receive the gift we begin to experience life as Jesus experienced life. We begin to experience the love and holiness of God immersing our souls with meaning and purpose and delight.
Jesus once asked: what does it profit if you gain the whole world and lose your own soul? What does it profit to get every thing you want only to discover you want nothing that you have?
Jesus has already saved our souls, our eternal essence, from the disintegration by the power of separation and death. Jesus has saved our souls for the infinite possibilities of eternal love and holiness. He offers each of us that salvation as a gift.
Although the world around us offers many distractions and promises the world only holds one real choice. That one real choice is to accept the gift of God in Jesus Christ or to reject him.
As we accept Jesus we gain immeasurable potential for abundant life. As we reject him, every other choice we make narrows our options until we experience only fear, self will and pride. The end choice for the path of fear, self will and pride is self absorbed despair. Jesus desires to save us from this other choice.
Jesus calls out from the altar, Jerusalem Jerusalem. He calls out to London, Paris, Rome, Moscow, Beijing. Tokyo, to all of the cities, towns and villages of Earth, to Newtown: how I have desired to gather you together. How I have desired to see the broken healed, the lost found, the fearful comforted, the lonely reunited. How I long to fill your emptiness with the fulness of divine love.
The choice to receive the gift is always ours. The choice to live the gift is ours. The choice to offer the gift to others is also ours. The gift is a new way of living.
The Holy Spirit invites us to hear Jesus lamenting over the souls of people who exist in the pain of separation. Pray for them. Reach out to them. Tell them about Jesus’ love. Show them Jesus’ love.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how much longer will Jesus long for you to receive the blessing? O church of God, how much longer will Jesus long for us to hear the blessing , believe the blessing, live the blessing of steadfast holy love in Jesus Christ?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday 2010
For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.
Where is your treasure?
Is it in property? Is it in a bank? Is it in possessions?
Jesus never said it is wrong to possess things. Jesus did warn us against being possessed by our possessions. The problem is not in things, not even in money. The problem is in the desires of our heart.
This holy season of Lent is about sin, repentance and transformation. There are two forms of sin. There is original sin and actual sin.
Original sin is that choice the human race made to separate from God. That choice to separate from God creates a deep and terrible existential pain in the soul. That pain is so profound that it distorts every aspect of our being. It especially distorts our reason, will and emotion.
In the distortions of reason, will and emotion people create stories about ourselves, the world and God. At best, those stories are flawed. At best, those stories re cycle the pain of separation.
The soul that lives from the place of separation brings forth the consequence of that separation. The consequence is three fold: a false self, a sinful existence, and death.
Jesus came to rescue us from separation and all of its consequences. He does this by permanently and irrevocably uniting his divinity with our humanity. Jesus is the pattern, the plan, and the purpose for a new way of being human. That new way of being human is what the Bible calls salvation.
There are three aspects of salvation.
The first is justification. Justification is the reunification of the soul with the divine life of God the Father through the one pure perfect sacrifice of God the Son on the cross. Jesus took the pain of our separation, felt it all, suffered all of the consequences, died, and then rose again. In his resurrection Jesus transforms separation into eternal love.
We receive justifying grace by the power of God the Holy Spirit in the waters of baptism. It is a gift. We cannot earn it. We cannot lose it. Jesus offers the gift to everyone without exception.
The second aspect of salvation is in fact the subject of Lent. That aspect is sanctification. The six other sacraments of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church are the primary means of sanctification.
Sanctification means transformation. Since the sin problem confronting us lies in the distortions of reason, will and emotion, the solution lies there as well. There are sins of commission and omission in the intellect, the will, and the heart.
The call to observe a holy Lent is the call to open our minds, hearts and wills to the perfect mirror of Divine Love. The Holy Spirit will use the ordinary events of our life to reveal to us where we live from the place of distortion. He will reveal to us where we live from the false self those distortions create. And, he will infuse grace into our souls to heal the terrible underlying spiritual pain that empowers the distortions and maintains the false self.
This process of sanctification is life long. It requires patience and persistence. It requires courage to assume self responsibility for our choices. It requires a fundamental paradigm shift in our way of living.
That fundamental paradigm shift can be found in the prayer of divine Presence. This is the prayer Jesus prayed daily. It is the prayer that says: Heavenly Father, not my will but your will be done.
Jesus never asks us to submit to divine will. Slaves submit.
Jesus never asks us to withdraw from Divine will. Demons withdraw.
Jesus never asks us to fight against divine will. That rebellion is the root of the problem humanity has created for itself.
Jesus asks us to surrender to Divine will. The beloved surrenders into the embrace of the Eternal and finds himself or herself in that eternal love.
The Litany of Penitence will give us an opportunity to examine our conscience. The Litany is a reality check list to help us discern where we need to repent. Repentance simply means agreeing with God that God is God.
Repentance means yielding the slavery of self will to the freedom of divine will.
Repentance is the means by which we make a real choice to open our minds, hearts and wills to the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit. As we yield to that Divine Presence He shows us where we need to make changes in our thoughts, words and deeds.
Jesus reveals to us and makes manifest to us that the treasure God designed us to seek is divine love. We rejected that treasure when we chose to separate from God. The treasure is still there. The treasure is right here. It lies within us. It is here for us in all of its abundance.
The only barrier to the new life of abundance God offer us is our attachment to sin. The solution is the prayer of divine Presence: Heavenly Father, not my will but your will be done.
The application of that prayer during this holy season of Lent is presented to us in the Litany of Penitence. The grace we need to implement the Litany is in the Real Presence of our Living Lord Jesus Christ in the blessed sacrament of the altar. That is the real treasure God makes available to us here and now. If we focus our minds, hearts and wills on Jesus Christ we will lose our false self and discover our real selves in the total immersion of our souls in the infinite and eternal love of God.
Jesus reminds us and invites us: where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.
Where is your treasure?
Is it in property? Is it in a bank? Is it in possessions?
Jesus never said it is wrong to possess things. Jesus did warn us against being possessed by our possessions. The problem is not in things, not even in money. The problem is in the desires of our heart.
This holy season of Lent is about sin, repentance and transformation. There are two forms of sin. There is original sin and actual sin.
Original sin is that choice the human race made to separate from God. That choice to separate from God creates a deep and terrible existential pain in the soul. That pain is so profound that it distorts every aspect of our being. It especially distorts our reason, will and emotion.
In the distortions of reason, will and emotion people create stories about ourselves, the world and God. At best, those stories are flawed. At best, those stories re cycle the pain of separation.
The soul that lives from the place of separation brings forth the consequence of that separation. The consequence is three fold: a false self, a sinful existence, and death.
Jesus came to rescue us from separation and all of its consequences. He does this by permanently and irrevocably uniting his divinity with our humanity. Jesus is the pattern, the plan, and the purpose for a new way of being human. That new way of being human is what the Bible calls salvation.
There are three aspects of salvation.
The first is justification. Justification is the reunification of the soul with the divine life of God the Father through the one pure perfect sacrifice of God the Son on the cross. Jesus took the pain of our separation, felt it all, suffered all of the consequences, died, and then rose again. In his resurrection Jesus transforms separation into eternal love.
We receive justifying grace by the power of God the Holy Spirit in the waters of baptism. It is a gift. We cannot earn it. We cannot lose it. Jesus offers the gift to everyone without exception.
The second aspect of salvation is in fact the subject of Lent. That aspect is sanctification. The six other sacraments of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church are the primary means of sanctification.
Sanctification means transformation. Since the sin problem confronting us lies in the distortions of reason, will and emotion, the solution lies there as well. There are sins of commission and omission in the intellect, the will, and the heart.
The call to observe a holy Lent is the call to open our minds, hearts and wills to the perfect mirror of Divine Love. The Holy Spirit will use the ordinary events of our life to reveal to us where we live from the place of distortion. He will reveal to us where we live from the false self those distortions create. And, he will infuse grace into our souls to heal the terrible underlying spiritual pain that empowers the distortions and maintains the false self.
This process of sanctification is life long. It requires patience and persistence. It requires courage to assume self responsibility for our choices. It requires a fundamental paradigm shift in our way of living.
That fundamental paradigm shift can be found in the prayer of divine Presence. This is the prayer Jesus prayed daily. It is the prayer that says: Heavenly Father, not my will but your will be done.
Jesus never asks us to submit to divine will. Slaves submit.
Jesus never asks us to withdraw from Divine will. Demons withdraw.
Jesus never asks us to fight against divine will. That rebellion is the root of the problem humanity has created for itself.
Jesus asks us to surrender to Divine will. The beloved surrenders into the embrace of the Eternal and finds himself or herself in that eternal love.
The Litany of Penitence will give us an opportunity to examine our conscience. The Litany is a reality check list to help us discern where we need to repent. Repentance simply means agreeing with God that God is God.
Repentance means yielding the slavery of self will to the freedom of divine will.
Repentance is the means by which we make a real choice to open our minds, hearts and wills to the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit. As we yield to that Divine Presence He shows us where we need to make changes in our thoughts, words and deeds.
Jesus reveals to us and makes manifest to us that the treasure God designed us to seek is divine love. We rejected that treasure when we chose to separate from God. The treasure is still there. The treasure is right here. It lies within us. It is here for us in all of its abundance.
The only barrier to the new life of abundance God offer us is our attachment to sin. The solution is the prayer of divine Presence: Heavenly Father, not my will but your will be done.
The application of that prayer during this holy season of Lent is presented to us in the Litany of Penitence. The grace we need to implement the Litany is in the Real Presence of our Living Lord Jesus Christ in the blessed sacrament of the altar. That is the real treasure God makes available to us here and now. If we focus our minds, hearts and wills on Jesus Christ we will lose our false self and discover our real selves in the total immersion of our souls in the infinite and eternal love of God.
Jesus reminds us and invites us: where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Transfiguration
Transfiguration Sunday
This is my son, my chosen, listen to him.
On the mount of Transfiguration Jesus manifested his divine glory.
For thirty three years Jesus veiled his glory. He appeared as an ordinary man of his time. His miracles were understated. His constant prayer was, Heavenly Father not my will but your will be done.
God the Father set God the Son into the world to save the world.
Jesus came not just to tell people about God but to reveal the fulness of God in human flesh. What Jesus revealed about God is unique. It is also counter intuitive for most if not all people.
Certainly, people in Jesus’ generation thought of God in terms of power. Religious people prayed to the divine to get favors or to avoid punishment. The important question for a religious person to ask about the divine was: "who is right?" Who has the right knowledge about what God wants in order for me to get what I want and avoid God’s wrath?
This was the question every one asked themselves as Jesus began preaching, teaching and healing. Does he have the power? What do I need to do to get him on my side? What do I need to do to avoid angering him?
Everyone attempted to re define Jesus according to their own fears, demands, and expectations. Even the apostles attempted to redefine Jesus according to the religious categories they had grown up to believe.
Just before the Transfiguration Jesus asked the twelve apostles two questions. Who do people say that I am? Who do you say that I am?
Peter had the correct answer. Peter said: you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. But, Peter had the wrong understanding.
Jesus commended Peter for his answer but rebuked him for his misunderstanding. Jesus revealed that the Christ must suffer, die and rise again. Peter could not accept that message. For Peter, God was power. For Peter, God’s Messiah would conquer Israel’s enemies and reward those who followed him.
Jesus came to reveal to all people everywhere that God is love.
God loves everyone unconditionally. There is no one who has ever lived, lives now, or will ever live whom God does not love.
God loves all people everywhere unconditionally because God is love.
God has power. God is love. God exercises his power in accord with his divine nature of steadfast holy love. We know this because this is exactly how God manifested himself to the human race in Jesus Christ.
There is no fear in love. There is reverence. There is awe. There is wonder. But there is no fear.
Jesus invited Peter, James and John to experience the unique manifestation of his divine glory. The invitation comes first in a journey up a mountain. Jesus led. Peter, James and John followed.
Jesus then led the three into prayer. Jesus prayed. Peter, James and John began to drift off into sleep. Prayer can be hard work for most of us. It was hard work for the apostles. The prayer Jesus practiced was the prayer of Divine Presence. It was not the ordinary set of liturgical prayers the apostles had learned in the synagogue and in the Temple.
There was a lesson and a preparation in the prayer Jesus offered on the mountain. The lesson was that all forms of prayer lead to the prayer of Divine Presence. The preparation was for the time of prayer Jesus would face in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the Garden as on the mountain Jesus would ask Peter, James and John to pray with him. In the garden as on the mountain, the three would fall asleep.
As Jesus prays, as he stands in the Divine Presence, the apostles witness the manifestation of his divine glory. This manifestation is reminiscent of Moses’ experience of the divine glory on Mt. Sinai.
Lest we miss the reference, Moses and Elijah appear. Moses represents the Law. Elijah represents the prophets. They conversed with Jesus. The apostles did not remember the exact words. But, they did remember the topic. The topic of discussion was the crucifixion.
As Jesus manifests his divine glory he discusses his death with Moses and Elijah. For in fact, the purpose of the Messiah was to die on the cross as the one pure, perfect and final sacrifice for human sin.
God had chosen Moses to give humanity the Law. The Law is holy and good. But, the Law cannot solve the problem of human separation from God. Moses had written: whoever will not live by the Law will die by the Law. Jesus had come live by the Law and to take our place by dying under the Law.
God had chosen Elijah and the other prophets to preach two words to the people of Israel. Repent and Prepare. Now, Jesus stood in their midst as the one for whom they had been called to prepare. As the people had consistently rejected the message of the prophets so they would reject Jesus.
The appearance of Moses and Elijah at the moment Jesus manifests his divine glory reminds us that we can only understand Jesus in the context of the Law and the Prophets. It also reminds us that we can only understand the Law and the Prophets through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Once again, Peter experiences the truth of the divine revelation. Once again Peter makes a valid although somewhat insipid comment. Master it is good for us to be here.
I suspect Peter felt he needed to say something at this point. He is standing in the presence of Jesus’ divine glory. Instead of contemplating the glory in a moment of silent adoration, Peter speaks in an effort to understand it within his religious context.
So it is that Peter adds, let us make three dwellings. This is a religious reference to the Feast of Booths. It was a way of remembering the wilderness wandering of Moses and the Israelites in the Sinai desert.
Peter essentially says: let’s take this divine manifestation and reduce it and encase it in a religious custom that we can understand.
There is a time and place for religions rituals and customs. There is also a time and place for Divine Mystery. The greatest invitation God offers us is the invitation into His Real Presence. In that Real Presence we stand in silence and experience the eternal love that created us, redeemed us, and sanctifies us.
Peter, James and John missed their moment of grace that day. There would be other moments. And, they would remember this moment and feel the wonder of the invitation drawing them forward into new moments of grace.
There is one more person who speaks in this event in Jesus’ life. Our Heavenly Father speaks for a second time. The first time is at Jesus’ baptism, at the beginning of his public ministry. The second time the Father speaks audibly is near the end of Jesus’ public ministry. The message is the same.
This is my Son, the Chosen, listen to him.
For three years the apostles had been traveling with Jesus. They had witnessed his miracles but they had never seen him for who he is. They had listened to his teaching but they had never heard him. They still wanted him to be some one else. They still thought they it was they who defined God.
God will not be defined. God is the great "I am". He transcends human understanding. He is immune to human definition. He will not be defined but he will manifest himself. He manifests himself in Jesus Christ.
As the Father reveals the divine glory in the person of his co-eternal son he leaves us a simple and direct message. Listen to him.
Don’t just look at Jesus as a religious curiosity. See him for who he is. See him for who God reveals him to be. Hear him for what he says and for what he communicates. Above all, take the time to stand in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in a moment of silent adoration.
Many people say that if God only revealed himself to them in a real and tangible way then they would believe. The testimony of scripture is just the opposite. From Adam to Moses to Elijah to Peter, those who experienced the real presence of the living God more often than not rejected him. They could not see past their self will. They would not hear the simple truth over the demand of their own desires.
Jesus manifested his divine glory in a very real, tangible and visible way. The apostles barely stayed awake and had nothing to say about their experience until after the resurrection. At the time, it just didn’t fit into their religions culture and personal expectations.
Jesus continues to manifest himself in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. He reveals his Divine Presence in a very real, tangible and visible way. He makes himself available to us. He waits patiently for us to join him at the altar with angels and archangels and the souls of the Church Expectant and the Church Triumphant.
At the altar, God invites us to experience the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. At the altar, God the Father speaks to us as he spoke to Peter, James and John: this is my Son. The Chosen. Listen to him. He is here for you. Open your eyes to see. Open you ears to hear. Open your souls to be immersed in the eternal love of the co-eternal Beloved.
This is my son, my chosen, listen to him.
On the mount of Transfiguration Jesus manifested his divine glory.
For thirty three years Jesus veiled his glory. He appeared as an ordinary man of his time. His miracles were understated. His constant prayer was, Heavenly Father not my will but your will be done.
God the Father set God the Son into the world to save the world.
Jesus came not just to tell people about God but to reveal the fulness of God in human flesh. What Jesus revealed about God is unique. It is also counter intuitive for most if not all people.
Certainly, people in Jesus’ generation thought of God in terms of power. Religious people prayed to the divine to get favors or to avoid punishment. The important question for a religious person to ask about the divine was: "who is right?" Who has the right knowledge about what God wants in order for me to get what I want and avoid God’s wrath?
This was the question every one asked themselves as Jesus began preaching, teaching and healing. Does he have the power? What do I need to do to get him on my side? What do I need to do to avoid angering him?
Everyone attempted to re define Jesus according to their own fears, demands, and expectations. Even the apostles attempted to redefine Jesus according to the religious categories they had grown up to believe.
Just before the Transfiguration Jesus asked the twelve apostles two questions. Who do people say that I am? Who do you say that I am?
Peter had the correct answer. Peter said: you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. But, Peter had the wrong understanding.
Jesus commended Peter for his answer but rebuked him for his misunderstanding. Jesus revealed that the Christ must suffer, die and rise again. Peter could not accept that message. For Peter, God was power. For Peter, God’s Messiah would conquer Israel’s enemies and reward those who followed him.
Jesus came to reveal to all people everywhere that God is love.
God loves everyone unconditionally. There is no one who has ever lived, lives now, or will ever live whom God does not love.
God loves all people everywhere unconditionally because God is love.
God has power. God is love. God exercises his power in accord with his divine nature of steadfast holy love. We know this because this is exactly how God manifested himself to the human race in Jesus Christ.
There is no fear in love. There is reverence. There is awe. There is wonder. But there is no fear.
Jesus invited Peter, James and John to experience the unique manifestation of his divine glory. The invitation comes first in a journey up a mountain. Jesus led. Peter, James and John followed.
Jesus then led the three into prayer. Jesus prayed. Peter, James and John began to drift off into sleep. Prayer can be hard work for most of us. It was hard work for the apostles. The prayer Jesus practiced was the prayer of Divine Presence. It was not the ordinary set of liturgical prayers the apostles had learned in the synagogue and in the Temple.
There was a lesson and a preparation in the prayer Jesus offered on the mountain. The lesson was that all forms of prayer lead to the prayer of Divine Presence. The preparation was for the time of prayer Jesus would face in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the Garden as on the mountain Jesus would ask Peter, James and John to pray with him. In the garden as on the mountain, the three would fall asleep.
As Jesus prays, as he stands in the Divine Presence, the apostles witness the manifestation of his divine glory. This manifestation is reminiscent of Moses’ experience of the divine glory on Mt. Sinai.
Lest we miss the reference, Moses and Elijah appear. Moses represents the Law. Elijah represents the prophets. They conversed with Jesus. The apostles did not remember the exact words. But, they did remember the topic. The topic of discussion was the crucifixion.
As Jesus manifests his divine glory he discusses his death with Moses and Elijah. For in fact, the purpose of the Messiah was to die on the cross as the one pure, perfect and final sacrifice for human sin.
God had chosen Moses to give humanity the Law. The Law is holy and good. But, the Law cannot solve the problem of human separation from God. Moses had written: whoever will not live by the Law will die by the Law. Jesus had come live by the Law and to take our place by dying under the Law.
God had chosen Elijah and the other prophets to preach two words to the people of Israel. Repent and Prepare. Now, Jesus stood in their midst as the one for whom they had been called to prepare. As the people had consistently rejected the message of the prophets so they would reject Jesus.
The appearance of Moses and Elijah at the moment Jesus manifests his divine glory reminds us that we can only understand Jesus in the context of the Law and the Prophets. It also reminds us that we can only understand the Law and the Prophets through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Once again, Peter experiences the truth of the divine revelation. Once again Peter makes a valid although somewhat insipid comment. Master it is good for us to be here.
I suspect Peter felt he needed to say something at this point. He is standing in the presence of Jesus’ divine glory. Instead of contemplating the glory in a moment of silent adoration, Peter speaks in an effort to understand it within his religious context.
So it is that Peter adds, let us make three dwellings. This is a religious reference to the Feast of Booths. It was a way of remembering the wilderness wandering of Moses and the Israelites in the Sinai desert.
Peter essentially says: let’s take this divine manifestation and reduce it and encase it in a religious custom that we can understand.
There is a time and place for religions rituals and customs. There is also a time and place for Divine Mystery. The greatest invitation God offers us is the invitation into His Real Presence. In that Real Presence we stand in silence and experience the eternal love that created us, redeemed us, and sanctifies us.
Peter, James and John missed their moment of grace that day. There would be other moments. And, they would remember this moment and feel the wonder of the invitation drawing them forward into new moments of grace.
There is one more person who speaks in this event in Jesus’ life. Our Heavenly Father speaks for a second time. The first time is at Jesus’ baptism, at the beginning of his public ministry. The second time the Father speaks audibly is near the end of Jesus’ public ministry. The message is the same.
This is my Son, the Chosen, listen to him.
For three years the apostles had been traveling with Jesus. They had witnessed his miracles but they had never seen him for who he is. They had listened to his teaching but they had never heard him. They still wanted him to be some one else. They still thought they it was they who defined God.
God will not be defined. God is the great "I am". He transcends human understanding. He is immune to human definition. He will not be defined but he will manifest himself. He manifests himself in Jesus Christ.
As the Father reveals the divine glory in the person of his co-eternal son he leaves us a simple and direct message. Listen to him.
Don’t just look at Jesus as a religious curiosity. See him for who he is. See him for who God reveals him to be. Hear him for what he says and for what he communicates. Above all, take the time to stand in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in a moment of silent adoration.
Many people say that if God only revealed himself to them in a real and tangible way then they would believe. The testimony of scripture is just the opposite. From Adam to Moses to Elijah to Peter, those who experienced the real presence of the living God more often than not rejected him. They could not see past their self will. They would not hear the simple truth over the demand of their own desires.
Jesus manifested his divine glory in a very real, tangible and visible way. The apostles barely stayed awake and had nothing to say about their experience until after the resurrection. At the time, it just didn’t fit into their religions culture and personal expectations.
Jesus continues to manifest himself in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. He reveals his Divine Presence in a very real, tangible and visible way. He makes himself available to us. He waits patiently for us to join him at the altar with angels and archangels and the souls of the Church Expectant and the Church Triumphant.
At the altar, God invites us to experience the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. At the altar, God the Father speaks to us as he spoke to Peter, James and John: this is my Son. The Chosen. Listen to him. He is here for you. Open your eyes to see. Open you ears to hear. Open your souls to be immersed in the eternal love of the co-eternal Beloved.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Epiphany V
Epiphany V
Do not fear. From now on you will catch men.
Jesus always invites us to take one step beyond our comfort zone.
That one step is a journey into faith, and trust. It is always an encounter with the reality of God intersecting our world and our lives. That intersection always manifests in miraculous ways. Sometimes the miracle alters the natural world.
Miracles are more often than not in the eye of the beholder. Many of us probably don’t see the miraculous aspect of the story of the fish. That is because most of us do not fish for a living. Fishing may be our hobby or recreation but it is not our life. It was for Simon Peter.
God designed this miracle for fisherman, Peter and his brother Andrew as well as their business partners James and John.
Jesus invited Peter and the others that specific day and that specific hour at that specific location to take a step forward into the life of faith. Peter was, at best, reluctant. He knew the best time to catch fish was at night. He knew daylight was the worst time for fishing. And he knew the coast line was the worst place. He knew this based on generations of experience. From Peter’s perspective the optimum time for fishing was over. It was now time to wash the nets and prepare for the next night’s labors.
From the practical experience of men who made their living from fishing, Jesus’ invitation to let down their nets was absurd. Yet, they did it. They did it reluctantly. They did it with no expectation of reward. They did it from simple obedience to some one they had begun to admire and trust.
They had that tiny mustard seed of faith that was willing to obey the word of God however strange and impossible that word might seem to them.
The purpose of a miracle is to elicit faith. Had Peter and the others resisted God’s word they would have missed their moment. They would have missed the miracle that God had planned for them personally. This was their moment of choice. This was their moment to say yes to God.
The disciples never really understood Jesus until after the resurrection. But, unlike others of their generation, they had that mustard seed of faith that we see revealed in this story.
Peter obeyed. He obeyed not through fear. He certainly had no expectation of reward. He knew he wasn’t going to catch any fish. He obeyed in the way God invites us all to obey His word. He obeyed through love.
Without really understanding what was happening, Peter had entered into a personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ. At this point it was still a tenuous friendship. But, that is how our relationship with God begins.
Peter and the others had to unlearn so much before they could learn the most important lesson. They had to surrender their self will to divine will. Jesus’ invitation to let down their nets was one small step in the unlearning process. It was one small step in learning to live by grace through faith.
The miracle was not only real for Peter but overwhelming. Jesus, by the power of God, had brought the fish to the fisherman. All the fisherman had to do was trust what Jesus asked and follow his direction.
At this moment, Peter recognized he was in the Divine Presence. That is why he shouts out to Jesus depart from me Lord for I am a sinful man. Peter had a deep appreciation for the holiness of God. He also had a deep appreciation for his own sin.
It was Peter’s faith that led him to obey. It was Peter’s humility that led him to confess his sinful nature. Faith and humility are two essential qualities for a personal relationship with God.
Peter wasn’t perfect and he knew it. That is why Jesus chose him and the other disciples to become his ambassadors, his apostles, to the world. It would take awhile. The record of scripture shows how throughout his life, even after the resurrection, Peter sometimes misunderstood the gospel and made mistakes. His faith and his humility helped him perceive his own sin and seek clarification and direction from God.
One of the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven is: “whoever is faithful in a little will be faithful in much.”
Jesus’ invitation to the fisherman that day seems fairly trivial. It was an important exercise. It was a significant step forward for them. As they stepped forward in obedience by faith, they experience the abundance of divine blessing.
Only a few years later, the abundance would come in a different form. It would come as thousands of people heard their eyewitness account of Jesus Christ and receive the gift of salvation. They would become the world evangelists, the fishers of men, going to places they never thought would hear the Good News let alone receive the Good News.
Within their life time, people throughout Western Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia would rejoice to receive the gift of eternal love in Jesus Christ. Who would have expected it? Who could have predicted it? It began with a simple invitation and a reluctant obedience. But, it was an obedience grounded in the personal relationship God offers in Jesus Christ.
How is God leading you in your journey of faith? Where is God asking you to trust his word and obey? Obedience to Christ is not an obedience of fear. It is the trust of a friend who has shown us in the scriptures and in the apostolic witness that Jesus loves us and wants the best for us in this life as well as the next.
Miracles come when we obey the revealed word of God by grace through faith in love.
It only requires the smallest bit of faith to experience the miracles of God. Those miracles will be real. They will be personal. They will help us in a very practical way. They will deepen our love for God and they will help us reach out to others with God’s love.
Miracles are not magic. Miracles are not a reward. Miracles are the new way of living for those who live by grace through faith with humility. Miracles happen when we hear God’s word, believe God’s word and obey God’s word immersed in the real presence of divine love in Jesus Christ.
Do not fear. From now on you will catch men.
Jesus always invites us to take one step beyond our comfort zone.
That one step is a journey into faith, and trust. It is always an encounter with the reality of God intersecting our world and our lives. That intersection always manifests in miraculous ways. Sometimes the miracle alters the natural world.
Miracles are more often than not in the eye of the beholder. Many of us probably don’t see the miraculous aspect of the story of the fish. That is because most of us do not fish for a living. Fishing may be our hobby or recreation but it is not our life. It was for Simon Peter.
God designed this miracle for fisherman, Peter and his brother Andrew as well as their business partners James and John.
Jesus invited Peter and the others that specific day and that specific hour at that specific location to take a step forward into the life of faith. Peter was, at best, reluctant. He knew the best time to catch fish was at night. He knew daylight was the worst time for fishing. And he knew the coast line was the worst place. He knew this based on generations of experience. From Peter’s perspective the optimum time for fishing was over. It was now time to wash the nets and prepare for the next night’s labors.
From the practical experience of men who made their living from fishing, Jesus’ invitation to let down their nets was absurd. Yet, they did it. They did it reluctantly. They did it with no expectation of reward. They did it from simple obedience to some one they had begun to admire and trust.
They had that tiny mustard seed of faith that was willing to obey the word of God however strange and impossible that word might seem to them.
The purpose of a miracle is to elicit faith. Had Peter and the others resisted God’s word they would have missed their moment. They would have missed the miracle that God had planned for them personally. This was their moment of choice. This was their moment to say yes to God.
The disciples never really understood Jesus until after the resurrection. But, unlike others of their generation, they had that mustard seed of faith that we see revealed in this story.
Peter obeyed. He obeyed not through fear. He certainly had no expectation of reward. He knew he wasn’t going to catch any fish. He obeyed in the way God invites us all to obey His word. He obeyed through love.
Without really understanding what was happening, Peter had entered into a personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ. At this point it was still a tenuous friendship. But, that is how our relationship with God begins.
Peter and the others had to unlearn so much before they could learn the most important lesson. They had to surrender their self will to divine will. Jesus’ invitation to let down their nets was one small step in the unlearning process. It was one small step in learning to live by grace through faith.
The miracle was not only real for Peter but overwhelming. Jesus, by the power of God, had brought the fish to the fisherman. All the fisherman had to do was trust what Jesus asked and follow his direction.
At this moment, Peter recognized he was in the Divine Presence. That is why he shouts out to Jesus depart from me Lord for I am a sinful man. Peter had a deep appreciation for the holiness of God. He also had a deep appreciation for his own sin.
It was Peter’s faith that led him to obey. It was Peter’s humility that led him to confess his sinful nature. Faith and humility are two essential qualities for a personal relationship with God.
Peter wasn’t perfect and he knew it. That is why Jesus chose him and the other disciples to become his ambassadors, his apostles, to the world. It would take awhile. The record of scripture shows how throughout his life, even after the resurrection, Peter sometimes misunderstood the gospel and made mistakes. His faith and his humility helped him perceive his own sin and seek clarification and direction from God.
One of the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven is: “whoever is faithful in a little will be faithful in much.”
Jesus’ invitation to the fisherman that day seems fairly trivial. It was an important exercise. It was a significant step forward for them. As they stepped forward in obedience by faith, they experience the abundance of divine blessing.
Only a few years later, the abundance would come in a different form. It would come as thousands of people heard their eyewitness account of Jesus Christ and receive the gift of salvation. They would become the world evangelists, the fishers of men, going to places they never thought would hear the Good News let alone receive the Good News.
Within their life time, people throughout Western Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia would rejoice to receive the gift of eternal love in Jesus Christ. Who would have expected it? Who could have predicted it? It began with a simple invitation and a reluctant obedience. But, it was an obedience grounded in the personal relationship God offers in Jesus Christ.
How is God leading you in your journey of faith? Where is God asking you to trust his word and obey? Obedience to Christ is not an obedience of fear. It is the trust of a friend who has shown us in the scriptures and in the apostolic witness that Jesus loves us and wants the best for us in this life as well as the next.
Miracles come when we obey the revealed word of God by grace through faith in love.
It only requires the smallest bit of faith to experience the miracles of God. Those miracles will be real. They will be personal. They will help us in a very practical way. They will deepen our love for God and they will help us reach out to others with God’s love.
Miracles are not magic. Miracles are not a reward. Miracles are the new way of living for those who live by grace through faith with humility. Miracles happen when we hear God’s word, believe God’s word and obey God’s word immersed in the real presence of divine love in Jesus Christ.
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