Easter 2012
Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia
The Son whom you merited to bear, alleluia
Has risen as he said, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia!
For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
7 April 2012
7 April 2012 - Meditation for Holy Saturday from the Divine Office.
"Something strange is happening - there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.
He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all”. Christ answered him: “And with your spirit”. He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light”.
I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated. For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.
See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.
I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.
Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity. "
"Something strange is happening - there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.
He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all”. Christ answered him: “And with your spirit”. He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light”.
I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated. For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.
See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.
I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.
Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity. "
Friday, April 6, 2012
6 April 2012
6 April 2012
"For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
Pilate said to him, "What is truth?""
Jesus comes to bear witness to the truth and yet he keeps silent before Pilate. How can he witness to the truth without words? It must be that his very life is a witness. Pilate asks Jesus if he is a king. It isn't as though Jesus is there insisting on it. There is nothing regal about him to suggest it at the moment.
"[T]here was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him."
It is true that Pilate had heard that he was a king. But seeing him before him as he is why does he even pursue the question?
"Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed."
It must be because of the authenticity of Jesus. Pilate is only too aware of his own failings. He knows he falls short of even the standards he sets for himself. And yet in Jesus he sees no such compromise. He sees "one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin." But his curiosity is not enough to save him from one more compromise.
"In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors."
Make no mistake. This is hard to believe when you're being beaten and scourged. Jesus can bear witness to the truth in such circumstances only because he does believe it with all his being.
"If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him."
Jesus does not need to do this. It is only because his love for us is so tremendous. It encompasses us all, whatever the degree of our betrayal. Whether Pilate, the guards, the Pharisees, Peter or even Judas, Jesus acts out of love for each individually. When he tells the guards who he is it isn't to impress them. He genuinely wants them to know. He genuinely wants them to understand and be changed Even the kiss from Judas he receives wishing it were sincere.
Let us recognize in our hearts the voice that cries out: "Crucify him!". Let us bring ourselves before the very cross we call for to be healed and made whole. As he says that it is finished let us hear ourselves and all things made new.
"For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
Pilate said to him, "What is truth?""
Jesus comes to bear witness to the truth and yet he keeps silent before Pilate. How can he witness to the truth without words? It must be that his very life is a witness. Pilate asks Jesus if he is a king. It isn't as though Jesus is there insisting on it. There is nothing regal about him to suggest it at the moment.
"[T]here was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him."
It is true that Pilate had heard that he was a king. But seeing him before him as he is why does he even pursue the question?
"Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed."
It must be because of the authenticity of Jesus. Pilate is only too aware of his own failings. He knows he falls short of even the standards he sets for himself. And yet in Jesus he sees no such compromise. He sees "one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin." But his curiosity is not enough to save him from one more compromise.
"In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors."
Make no mistake. This is hard to believe when you're being beaten and scourged. Jesus can bear witness to the truth in such circumstances only because he does believe it with all his being.
"If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him."
Jesus does not need to do this. It is only because his love for us is so tremendous. It encompasses us all, whatever the degree of our betrayal. Whether Pilate, the guards, the Pharisees, Peter or even Judas, Jesus acts out of love for each individually. When he tells the guards who he is it isn't to impress them. He genuinely wants them to know. He genuinely wants them to understand and be changed Even the kiss from Judas he receives wishing it were sincere.
Let us recognize in our hearts the voice that cries out: "Crucify him!". Let us bring ourselves before the very cross we call for to be healed and made whole. As he says that it is finished let us hear ourselves and all things made new.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
5 April 2012
5 April 2012
"You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.
If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,
you also ought to wash one another's feet."
Jesus is the LORD and master and yet he comes to be a servant to all. Jesus knows who he is in both contexts, LORD and servant, because he knows that he is from the Father. He knows that he "he had come from God and was going to God" and can therefore lay aside his garments to wash us clean from our sins knowing that this doesn't compromise who he is. In fact it exemplifies it.
Jesus lays all he has aside when he hangs upon the cross for our sake. He lays all he has
aside when he takes himself in his hands and gives himself to us as bread. Therefore
"as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." His offering of himself is one. He gives us himself as food and gives his life for us on the cross as one offering. His most profound gift to us is also the only thing we can offer him in thanksgiving. With his life now in us we are empowered to lay our lives down "to wash one another's feet." We both surrender our own will to him and love him in others when we do this. Therefore, it is our most true thanksgiving.
For all of the LORD's bounty to us this is what we offer in return. "I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD." He is given to us for our healing and he is at once our most true thanksgiving for that healing. He is the blood on the signposts of our hearts which saves us. He is the lamb on which we feast. He is at once our freedom and the memorial to be celebrated forevermore.
So let us remember him as we do this. Let us remember the whole history of salvation wherein the LORD gives himself for our sake. Let us see this gift veiled in the appearance of bread and, as we receive it, let our remembrance bring that very gift from the outside to the depths of our hearts so that he may be our all in all.
"You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.
If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,
you also ought to wash one another's feet."
Jesus is the LORD and master and yet he comes to be a servant to all. Jesus knows who he is in both contexts, LORD and servant, because he knows that he is from the Father. He knows that he "he had come from God and was going to God" and can therefore lay aside his garments to wash us clean from our sins knowing that this doesn't compromise who he is. In fact it exemplifies it.
Jesus lays all he has aside when he hangs upon the cross for our sake. He lays all he has
aside when he takes himself in his hands and gives himself to us as bread. Therefore
"as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." His offering of himself is one. He gives us himself as food and gives his life for us on the cross as one offering. His most profound gift to us is also the only thing we can offer him in thanksgiving. With his life now in us we are empowered to lay our lives down "to wash one another's feet." We both surrender our own will to him and love him in others when we do this. Therefore, it is our most true thanksgiving.
For all of the LORD's bounty to us this is what we offer in return. "I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD." He is given to us for our healing and he is at once our most true thanksgiving for that healing. He is the blood on the signposts of our hearts which saves us. He is the lamb on which we feast. He is at once our freedom and the memorial to be celebrated forevermore.
So let us remember him as we do this. Let us remember the whole history of salvation wherein the LORD gives himself for our sake. Let us see this gift veiled in the appearance of bread and, as we receive it, let our remembrance bring that very gift from the outside to the depths of our hearts so that he may be our all in all.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
4 April 2012
4 April 2012
"The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame."
Jesus does this in the face of the pain of betrayal. He knows what is to come and he knows who will betray him. How can he be so stolid in the face of such imminent physical and emotional pain? I think it is fair to say that if most of us were in his shoes and knew what was coming we would have been sufficiently overwhelmed without even experiencing it to cause us to turn back and to run away.
"Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
And I have not rebelled,
have not turned back."
It is because he is so close to the Father that he can keep his feet moving forward in spite of what is to come. He knows that he will be hit and spit on. He knows that some of his closest friends will betray him. But the word of the Father sustains him. He knows, even seeing all of this, that he will not ultimately be put to shame.
Even though Jesus can see in his future all of this pain he is not overcome.
"Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak,
I looked for sympathy, but there was none;
for consolers, not one could I find.
Rather they put gall in my food,
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink."
No sympathy? No consolers? How can he survive? It is because morning after morning the Father opens his ears that he may hear. When he calls "Lord, in your great love, answer me" he does not demand that he be answered according to his own will. In fact his will is to not suffer these things but he ultimately prays for the Father's will to be done and not his own. But even knowing what is to come he has faith that the Father's answer is more than enough to compensate for all of this:
"I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving"
And seeing him crushed and humiliated and yet lifted on high can give hope to all the lowly on whom the world tramples.
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!"
This is why he can still sit down to dinner with his betrayer and look at him with love when he asks "Surely it is not I, Lord?" vainly trying to conceal his plan. Jesus answers that he "who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me." It is almost as if in his love for Judas, even traitor though he is, he has difficulty pointing the finger at him. It is as if he says who will betray him ambiguously because he so wishes it were not so. This can only be because morning after morning the Father opens his ears that he may hear. Let us come to see that there are no barriers to his love. Let our hearts revive since we know that if we call out to him to answer us in his great love.
"The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame."
Jesus does this in the face of the pain of betrayal. He knows what is to come and he knows who will betray him. How can he be so stolid in the face of such imminent physical and emotional pain? I think it is fair to say that if most of us were in his shoes and knew what was coming we would have been sufficiently overwhelmed without even experiencing it to cause us to turn back and to run away.
"Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
And I have not rebelled,
have not turned back."
It is because he is so close to the Father that he can keep his feet moving forward in spite of what is to come. He knows that he will be hit and spit on. He knows that some of his closest friends will betray him. But the word of the Father sustains him. He knows, even seeing all of this, that he will not ultimately be put to shame.
Even though Jesus can see in his future all of this pain he is not overcome.
"Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak,
I looked for sympathy, but there was none;
for consolers, not one could I find.
Rather they put gall in my food,
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink."
No sympathy? No consolers? How can he survive? It is because morning after morning the Father opens his ears that he may hear. When he calls "Lord, in your great love, answer me" he does not demand that he be answered according to his own will. In fact his will is to not suffer these things but he ultimately prays for the Father's will to be done and not his own. But even knowing what is to come he has faith that the Father's answer is more than enough to compensate for all of this:
"I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving"
And seeing him crushed and humiliated and yet lifted on high can give hope to all the lowly on whom the world tramples.
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!"
This is why he can still sit down to dinner with his betrayer and look at him with love when he asks "Surely it is not I, Lord?" vainly trying to conceal his plan. Jesus answers that he "who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me." It is almost as if in his love for Judas, even traitor though he is, he has difficulty pointing the finger at him. It is as if he says who will betray him ambiguously because he so wishes it were not so. This can only be because morning after morning the Father opens his ears that he may hear. Let us come to see that there are no barriers to his love. Let our hearts revive since we know that if we call out to him to answer us in his great love.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
3 April 2012
3 April 2012
"Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you."
This question can be a good self-examination for us. On the one hand we probably have an
idealized version of what our relationship with Jesus looks like that we imagine in our minds.
On the other is reality where we sometimes follow him and sometimes choose to live for ourselves instead. This ambiguity and lack of complete commitment prevents us from truly meaning it when we say "I will lay down my life for you." Our lives have to be consistent with that sentiment. If we won't lay certain aspects of our lives down and surrender them to him (thinking, perhaps, that they don't matter because they are small or trivial) it shouldn't surprise us that when our life as a whole is demanded of us that we find ourselves betraying him.
So it is for Peter who denies him and so it is for Judas who takes the morsel of fellowship and flees into the night. Both have good reason to feel like failures:
"I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength"
But Peter doesn't fall into dispair. He finds in spite of everything that Jesus gathers him and
brings him back.
"And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!"
His brokenness doesn't disqualify him. In fact it uniquely qualifies him to understand that his strength is in God and to be made a light to the nations to spread his salvation.
Judas refuses to hope for salvation after he betrays the LORD. Having exhausted himself and his own resources he should take refuge in the LORD and trust in him to deliver him and save him. But he chooses not to. Let this this be a warning to us to always trust in the LORD to be a rock of refuge and a stronghold even against our own weaknesses and failings.
"You will look for me, and as I told the Jews,
'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you."
In our weakness we may not be able to follow him all the way at this moment. But he is steadfast by our side. We have depended on him since birth. He has taught us from our youth and is our strength. He will not abandon us and tells us that "you will follow later." He will bring this good work to completion in us until we can fully sing of his salvation.
"Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you."
This question can be a good self-examination for us. On the one hand we probably have an
idealized version of what our relationship with Jesus looks like that we imagine in our minds.
On the other is reality where we sometimes follow him and sometimes choose to live for ourselves instead. This ambiguity and lack of complete commitment prevents us from truly meaning it when we say "I will lay down my life for you." Our lives have to be consistent with that sentiment. If we won't lay certain aspects of our lives down and surrender them to him (thinking, perhaps, that they don't matter because they are small or trivial) it shouldn't surprise us that when our life as a whole is demanded of us that we find ourselves betraying him.
So it is for Peter who denies him and so it is for Judas who takes the morsel of fellowship and flees into the night. Both have good reason to feel like failures:
"I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength"
But Peter doesn't fall into dispair. He finds in spite of everything that Jesus gathers him and
brings him back.
"And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!"
His brokenness doesn't disqualify him. In fact it uniquely qualifies him to understand that his strength is in God and to be made a light to the nations to spread his salvation.
Judas refuses to hope for salvation after he betrays the LORD. Having exhausted himself and his own resources he should take refuge in the LORD and trust in him to deliver him and save him. But he chooses not to. Let this this be a warning to us to always trust in the LORD to be a rock of refuge and a stronghold even against our own weaknesses and failings.
"You will look for me, and as I told the Jews,
'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you."
In our weakness we may not be able to follow him all the way at this moment. But he is steadfast by our side. We have depended on him since birth. He has taught us from our youth and is our strength. He will not abandon us and tells us that "you will follow later." He will bring this good work to completion in us until we can fully sing of his salvation.
Monday, April 2, 2012
2 April 2012
2 April 2012
"A bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench"
What does this mean? We know that Jesus isn't afraid to speak harsh words when necessary, calling the Pharisees whitewashed tombs saying "Get behind me, Satan" to Peter among other examples. It likely means that he is more concerned with the truth of who we are than with the externals with which we busy ourselves. That is why "everyone that does [bear fruit] he prunes so that it bears more fruit" and why "if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire." He wants to get to the core of us. Can we call him gentle, considering all this? Yes, because in the depths of our spirits he invites but does not coerce. He is the perfect gentleman. He will not trick us or force us. He will only state his love for us and stand ready to enable our response.
Jesus is our light and our salvation. We can trust in him to not break us or extinguish us. He wants to build us back. He wants for us to not just smolder but burn fiercely. He is on our side so we don't have to fear foes or enemies.
"Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
even then will I trust."
This is because we believe that he is working for our good and that we shall therefore "see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living." In anointing Jesus with the perfumed oil Mary Magdalene shows a willingness to let go of all that is external to her in love of Jesus. We must guard against the superficially plausible response of Judas. It is good to give to the poor but Jesus must come first. Apart from him all such efforts are doomed to fade in the passage of time. Do we really think that we can fix the world on our own if we just have enough resources? Lazarus sits at the table and silently bears witness to the importance of the centrality of Jesus. The real problem is death and the only solution is in Jesus and absolutely orienting our lives toward him.
"Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD."
"A bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench"
What does this mean? We know that Jesus isn't afraid to speak harsh words when necessary, calling the Pharisees whitewashed tombs saying "Get behind me, Satan" to Peter among other examples. It likely means that he is more concerned with the truth of who we are than with the externals with which we busy ourselves. That is why "everyone that does [bear fruit] he prunes so that it bears more fruit" and why "if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire." He wants to get to the core of us. Can we call him gentle, considering all this? Yes, because in the depths of our spirits he invites but does not coerce. He is the perfect gentleman. He will not trick us or force us. He will only state his love for us and stand ready to enable our response.
Jesus is our light and our salvation. We can trust in him to not break us or extinguish us. He wants to build us back. He wants for us to not just smolder but burn fiercely. He is on our side so we don't have to fear foes or enemies.
"Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
even then will I trust."
This is because we believe that he is working for our good and that we shall therefore "see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living." In anointing Jesus with the perfumed oil Mary Magdalene shows a willingness to let go of all that is external to her in love of Jesus. We must guard against the superficially plausible response of Judas. It is good to give to the poor but Jesus must come first. Apart from him all such efforts are doomed to fade in the passage of time. Do we really think that we can fix the world on our own if we just have enough resources? Lazarus sits at the table and silently bears witness to the importance of the centrality of Jesus. The real problem is death and the only solution is in Jesus and absolutely orienting our lives toward him.
"Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD."
Sunday, April 1, 2012
1 April 2012
1 April 2012
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
It is precisely this which is necessary to bring about our freedom. This is the one place which is beyond the reach of our selfishness and sin. We would prefer to always celebrate triumph. We are only too similar to those who cry "[h]osanna" at first and then "[c]rucify him" a week later. The LORD enters Jerusalem, passing those who acclaim him king. He is not deterred by all of this. The easy solution is insufficient and superficial and he knows it. Nothing can keep him from laying everything down at the cross for us to bring us true salvation. Because we are selfish we want kingship, either by ourselves or by proxy. And we do have a royal destiny before us but Jesus is the only one who can show us what it truly means. The selfless king who has come serve is inconceivable to us until Jeaus comes to reveal his heart to us and to share his love with us.
In the face of the oppression of the world we long to be kings of our own lives and to order our own circumstances. Even so, even as we push him to the peripheries, the LORD is never far from us. Even as all of our misbegotten dreams crumble at our feet he is near to us. Because he "emptied himself" he frees us to say with sincere hearts that "Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." It is only because of his selflessness, because he lives to do the will of the Father, that Jesus can cry out "[m]y God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" and still have the faith to trust enough to say:
"I will proclaim your name to my brethren;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you"
"Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
It is precisely this which is necessary to bring about our freedom. This is the one place which is beyond the reach of our selfishness and sin. We would prefer to always celebrate triumph. We are only too similar to those who cry "[h]osanna" at first and then "[c]rucify him" a week later. The LORD enters Jerusalem, passing those who acclaim him king. He is not deterred by all of this. The easy solution is insufficient and superficial and he knows it. Nothing can keep him from laying everything down at the cross for us to bring us true salvation. Because we are selfish we want kingship, either by ourselves or by proxy. And we do have a royal destiny before us but Jesus is the only one who can show us what it truly means. The selfless king who has come serve is inconceivable to us until Jeaus comes to reveal his heart to us and to share his love with us.
In the face of the oppression of the world we long to be kings of our own lives and to order our own circumstances. Even so, even as we push him to the peripheries, the LORD is never far from us. Even as all of our misbegotten dreams crumble at our feet he is near to us. Because he "emptied himself" he frees us to say with sincere hearts that "Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." It is only because of his selflessness, because he lives to do the will of the Father, that Jesus can cry out "[m]y God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" and still have the faith to trust enough to say:
"I will proclaim your name to my brethren;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you"
"Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
Saturday, March 31, 2012
31 March 2012
31 March 2012
I shall take the Israelites from the nations where they have gone.
It isn't geography that the LORD is concerned with here. We have harmful entanglements with the world and he wants to free us of from them. This is necessary for him to cleanse us from the foul idols and horrors with which we defile ourselves. Only together under one shepherd can we hope to follow his judgments and respect his laws.
For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, rescued him from a hand stronger than his own.
We don't fully appreciate what we are up against in our daily lives. We don't fully appreciate the little ways in which we bow to the world in compromise. We are not strong enough to break free on our own so the LORD comes to our aid. We unite around his sanctuary among us. We unite around Jesus, the son of David, the prince of peace, who reigns forever.
Jesus makes this possible by cleansing of us of our idols and reversing the divisions between us in his own flesh. He takes our own sins to the cross and puts them to death. These sins and idols kept us imprisoned within ourselves. Jesus frees us to be a people united in him and uniquely his own.
[A]s high priest of that year he was prophesying that Jesus was to die for the nation-and not for the nation only, but also to gather together into one the scattered children of God.
Division and sin our synonymous. Fortunately God himself offers the solution. The veil seperating us from God was also sepearting us from one another. Jesus tore both assunder in his own body. Let us not return to the nations from which he has gathered us. Let us remember that nothing there could satisfy the deepest longings of our heart.
I shall change their mourning into gladness, comfort them, give them joy after their troubles
I shall take the Israelites from the nations where they have gone.
It isn't geography that the LORD is concerned with here. We have harmful entanglements with the world and he wants to free us of from them. This is necessary for him to cleanse us from the foul idols and horrors with which we defile ourselves. Only together under one shepherd can we hope to follow his judgments and respect his laws.
For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, rescued him from a hand stronger than his own.
We don't fully appreciate what we are up against in our daily lives. We don't fully appreciate the little ways in which we bow to the world in compromise. We are not strong enough to break free on our own so the LORD comes to our aid. We unite around his sanctuary among us. We unite around Jesus, the son of David, the prince of peace, who reigns forever.
Jesus makes this possible by cleansing of us of our idols and reversing the divisions between us in his own flesh. He takes our own sins to the cross and puts them to death. These sins and idols kept us imprisoned within ourselves. Jesus frees us to be a people united in him and uniquely his own.
[A]s high priest of that year he was prophesying that Jesus was to die for the nation-and not for the nation only, but also to gather together into one the scattered children of God.
Division and sin our synonymous. Fortunately God himself offers the solution. The veil seperating us from God was also sepearting us from one another. Jesus tore both assunder in his own body. Let us not return to the nations from which he has gathered us. Let us remember that nothing there could satisfy the deepest longings of our heart.
I shall change their mourning into gladness, comfort them, give them joy after their troubles
Friday, March 30, 2012
30 March 2012
30 March 2012
"But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph."
Do we realize that the LORD is greater than our circumstances? Do we realize what it means for God to be God. Even though we feel like Jeremiah and it seems that the whole world is out to get us we have to remember that the LORD is bigger than the world. Perhaps we don't understand this right away because our human minds compare One with the many circumstances that conspire against us and we foolishly assume that circumstances are greater. He is the One from whom all things are. We can safely entrust our cause to him because he is greater than all the darkness of the world combined.
The LORD allows circumstances that seem overwhelming to teach us to call upon him and trust him. We learn faith in that the One whom we cannot see is greater than the summation of all the oppressive circumstances that we can see. Particularly if we know that our hearts don't fully accept this we need to proclaim our faith in the LORD's protection.
"My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies."
Such words will help us to recognize more fully the power of our omnipotent God in our lives. Recognizing it we will trust him. Trusting him we will call out to him in distress. He will hear us and keep us safe from our enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Jesus saves us from our enemies, it is true. But it is more important to acknowledge that he saves us for life with him. He wants us to know that he is in the Father and that the Father is in him. We can only know this by having "the mind of Christ" and by being caught up into divine life with him. He speaks his words and does mighty deeds that we might come to trust him. He is consecrated and sent by the Father into the world so that we may realize and understand the truth of who God is and to somehow be made a part of that dynamic and everlasting love.
We know we aren't there yet. We know our hearts still shy away from admitting not just with a thought but with our whole lives that Jesus is the Son of God. We know that our lives would look different if we acknowledged that fact with our whole being. In him we would see the Father's limitless love poured out and we wouldn't fear the "cords of the nether world" or the "snares of death". In him we would be able to offer our lives back to the Father without compromise.
"Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
For he has rescued the life of the poor"
"But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph."
Do we realize that the LORD is greater than our circumstances? Do we realize what it means for God to be God. Even though we feel like Jeremiah and it seems that the whole world is out to get us we have to remember that the LORD is bigger than the world. Perhaps we don't understand this right away because our human minds compare One with the many circumstances that conspire against us and we foolishly assume that circumstances are greater. He is the One from whom all things are. We can safely entrust our cause to him because he is greater than all the darkness of the world combined.
The LORD allows circumstances that seem overwhelming to teach us to call upon him and trust him. We learn faith in that the One whom we cannot see is greater than the summation of all the oppressive circumstances that we can see. Particularly if we know that our hearts don't fully accept this we need to proclaim our faith in the LORD's protection.
"My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies."
Such words will help us to recognize more fully the power of our omnipotent God in our lives. Recognizing it we will trust him. Trusting him we will call out to him in distress. He will hear us and keep us safe from our enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Jesus saves us from our enemies, it is true. But it is more important to acknowledge that he saves us for life with him. He wants us to know that he is in the Father and that the Father is in him. We can only know this by having "the mind of Christ" and by being caught up into divine life with him. He speaks his words and does mighty deeds that we might come to trust him. He is consecrated and sent by the Father into the world so that we may realize and understand the truth of who God is and to somehow be made a part of that dynamic and everlasting love.
We know we aren't there yet. We know our hearts still shy away from admitting not just with a thought but with our whole lives that Jesus is the Son of God. We know that our lives would look different if we acknowledged that fact with our whole being. In him we would see the Father's limitless love poured out and we wouldn't fear the "cords of the nether world" or the "snares of death". In him we would be able to offer our lives back to the Father without compromise.
"Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
For he has rescued the life of the poor"
Thursday, March 29, 2012
29 March 2012
29 March 2012
"The Lord remembers his covenant for ever."
His ultimate plan and desire is to unite all of mankind in one family with he himself as Father over all. That is why we should not be apathetic when we see God binding himself to Abraham. We should think often on the blessings the LORD poured out upon him because they are the same blessings we share in through faith in Jesus. As St. Paul says in Galatians: "Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith."
It isn't that the LORD tried one thing with Abraham, another with Moses, another with David, and so on. He has always been working to fulfill the same plan he has always had since the fall in the garden. He is working to erase the divisions caused by sin. He does it first through the Jewish people. Then, through faith in Jesus, he gives the blessings of the covenant par excellence and extends them to the whole world. This is why today's psalm tells us that he "remembers forever his covenant".
Yet the covenant with Abraham is still incomplete until Jesus comes. In Abraham we learn faith and hope and we receive blessings from God. Yet divisions of sin remain. Abraham is still imperfect and can't overcome them on his own. Even he can't fully realize the blessings God has for us because of the sin which binds him. Therefore he rejoiced to see Jesus's day. Abraham can see from his vantage point that Jesus truly is "I AM." He knows that because of that truth he is the one and only man who can set right the division between God and man and therefore between man and his neighbor. This division is already being reversed in the incarnation as the divine joins the human. It is finalized with the new covenant on the cross as Jesus puts sin to death in his flesh. Thus is the veil in the temple torn from top to bottom.
Let us share in the faith of Abraham so that we can rejoice to see the day of the LORD. Let
us look to the LORD in his strength, displayed most profoundly on the cross, and recall the
wondrous deeds by which he sets us free.
"The Lord remembers his covenant for ever."
His ultimate plan and desire is to unite all of mankind in one family with he himself as Father over all. That is why we should not be apathetic when we see God binding himself to Abraham. We should think often on the blessings the LORD poured out upon him because they are the same blessings we share in through faith in Jesus. As St. Paul says in Galatians: "Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith."
It isn't that the LORD tried one thing with Abraham, another with Moses, another with David, and so on. He has always been working to fulfill the same plan he has always had since the fall in the garden. He is working to erase the divisions caused by sin. He does it first through the Jewish people. Then, through faith in Jesus, he gives the blessings of the covenant par excellence and extends them to the whole world. This is why today's psalm tells us that he "remembers forever his covenant".
Yet the covenant with Abraham is still incomplete until Jesus comes. In Abraham we learn faith and hope and we receive blessings from God. Yet divisions of sin remain. Abraham is still imperfect and can't overcome them on his own. Even he can't fully realize the blessings God has for us because of the sin which binds him. Therefore he rejoiced to see Jesus's day. Abraham can see from his vantage point that Jesus truly is "I AM." He knows that because of that truth he is the one and only man who can set right the division between God and man and therefore between man and his neighbor. This division is already being reversed in the incarnation as the divine joins the human. It is finalized with the new covenant on the cross as Jesus puts sin to death in his flesh. Thus is the veil in the temple torn from top to bottom.
Let us share in the faith of Abraham so that we can rejoice to see the day of the LORD. Let
us look to the LORD in his strength, displayed most profoundly on the cross, and recall the
wondrous deeds by which he sets us free.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
28 March 2012
28 March 2012
"But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god"
We need to have faith like this. We need to have faith that the LORD has the power to overcome any obstacle. Yet we must acknowledge that he sometimes chooses not to do so. His ways are not our ways. We must therefore have our priorities straight. We must not make God earn the trust we give him by catering to our wills. Even if he does not do so we must still not then turn to the idols in our lives. Only by trusting in God completely can we hope for salvation. We don't want to be thrown in the fire in the first place. Yet he may allow us to be thrown in but prevent us from being burned because we trust him. This may result in conversions as it did for King Nebuchadnezzar. May many more say "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego".
Even though we see ourselves as disciples of Jesus we must still guard against the temptation to idolatry. We are still slaves to sin to some degree. We must listen to the word of Jesus. We must abide in that word.
"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
It is only if we abide in his word that we can be truly free. Otherwise, when push comes to shove and it comes down to worshipping idols or getting thrown in the fire we will choose the idols. We will rationalize. We will make excuses. His word will keep us on track. His word will let us face down the fire and kings of nations and yet hold fast to him. His word is his life. It is a word of praise to the Father. Let us join with him, saying "Glory and praise forever."
"But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god"
We need to have faith like this. We need to have faith that the LORD has the power to overcome any obstacle. Yet we must acknowledge that he sometimes chooses not to do so. His ways are not our ways. We must therefore have our priorities straight. We must not make God earn the trust we give him by catering to our wills. Even if he does not do so we must still not then turn to the idols in our lives. Only by trusting in God completely can we hope for salvation. We don't want to be thrown in the fire in the first place. Yet he may allow us to be thrown in but prevent us from being burned because we trust him. This may result in conversions as it did for King Nebuchadnezzar. May many more say "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego".
Even though we see ourselves as disciples of Jesus we must still guard against the temptation to idolatry. We are still slaves to sin to some degree. We must listen to the word of Jesus. We must abide in that word.
"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
It is only if we abide in his word that we can be truly free. Otherwise, when push comes to shove and it comes down to worshipping idols or getting thrown in the fire we will choose the idols. We will rationalize. We will make excuses. His word will keep us on track. His word will let us face down the fire and kings of nations and yet hold fast to him. His word is his life. It is a word of praise to the Father. Let us join with him, saying "Glory and praise forever."
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
27 March 2012
27 March 2012
"But with their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
"Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?""
Even though the LORD is providing us with miraculous food and water we still complain as if we are left to starve. It's true that we are surrounded by desert. It is true that the journey is long. Yet will we really say "We are disgusted with this wretched food"? When he gives us all we need. We are not left to thirst when we drink the living water. It isn't the mana from heaven or the living water which leave us worn out. It is focusing on the desert instead of the one who leads us through it.
It is then that the ravages of the desert can truly get to us. It is then the the serpents of sin and vice can bite us and cause death in our spirits. Yet in the desert we see the shortcomings of our own resources and cry out to God. If we cry out to him he is merciful. If we pray to him we can be confident that he will hear us. He loves us so much that he can't look away or hide his face when we're in trouble.
"The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die."
It may be that mounting a bronze serpant on a pole symbolically represents taking power over the serpants. For a time the Israelites are protected from serpants and yet venomous serpants continue to afflict the world. When Jesus becomes sin for us and is lifted up he takes power over sin and kills it in his own flesh for all times. That is why we must look to him being lifted up and recognize in him the LORD of all. We should see not just power over sin but the definitive victory of the LORD over sin for all times. It is this victory alone which overcomes death.
"For if you do not believe that I AM,
you will die in your sins."
Precisely in his filling this role in which he is lifted up on the cross he allows us to come to understand who he is.
"When you lift up the Son of Man,
then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but I say only what the Father taught me."
He reveals the love he has for us. Love so strong and constant can only be divine. We can finally understand that he is God and that he has come forth from the Father. Let us therefore not shun his gifts the greatest of which is the Eucharist. We can trust that he will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory. Let us listen to the way he speaks and so come to believe.
"But with their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
"Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?""
Even though the LORD is providing us with miraculous food and water we still complain as if we are left to starve. It's true that we are surrounded by desert. It is true that the journey is long. Yet will we really say "We are disgusted with this wretched food"? When he gives us all we need. We are not left to thirst when we drink the living water. It isn't the mana from heaven or the living water which leave us worn out. It is focusing on the desert instead of the one who leads us through it.
It is then that the ravages of the desert can truly get to us. It is then the the serpents of sin and vice can bite us and cause death in our spirits. Yet in the desert we see the shortcomings of our own resources and cry out to God. If we cry out to him he is merciful. If we pray to him we can be confident that he will hear us. He loves us so much that he can't look away or hide his face when we're in trouble.
"The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die."
It may be that mounting a bronze serpant on a pole symbolically represents taking power over the serpants. For a time the Israelites are protected from serpants and yet venomous serpants continue to afflict the world. When Jesus becomes sin for us and is lifted up he takes power over sin and kills it in his own flesh for all times. That is why we must look to him being lifted up and recognize in him the LORD of all. We should see not just power over sin but the definitive victory of the LORD over sin for all times. It is this victory alone which overcomes death.
"For if you do not believe that I AM,
you will die in your sins."
Precisely in his filling this role in which he is lifted up on the cross he allows us to come to understand who he is.
"When you lift up the Son of Man,
then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but I say only what the Father taught me."
He reveals the love he has for us. Love so strong and constant can only be divine. We can finally understand that he is God and that he has come forth from the Father. Let us therefore not shun his gifts the greatest of which is the Eucharist. We can trust that he will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory. Let us listen to the way he speaks and so come to believe.
Monday, March 26, 2012
26 March 2012
26 March 2012
"Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
We can see in the obedience of Mary the dawn of what salvation truly means. She is simple. She does no great things. She is even afraid. And yet perfect obedience is first manifest in her. Throughout the rest of history we clung to the externals of law and sacrifice because we could focus on them and ignore the fact that we couldn't get our hearts right. We could
never find the words we most wanted to say:
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
We refused to ask the LORD for a sign when he wanted us to ask and yet insisted on it when we desired it as superfluous entertainment. Even so, the LORD brings forth the sign of signs. The virgin conceives and gives birth to Emmanuel, God with us.
Both Mary and Jesus together say: "Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will."
Jesus and Mary give the entirety of their very selves since they know that all that they have is from the Father. We approach oblations and sin-offerings as if they are things of value to God. We treat them like bargaining chips which he is bound to acknowledge. In fact he gives them to us because they are of value to us. But if his will is not first in our hearts they will never do in our hearts what they are intended to do.
We need his law to be in our hearts. We need his obedience in our hearts. We need his "I come to do your will" in our hearts:
"By this "will," we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all."
The LORD wants to overshadow all of his people and to fill us all with his Spirit and thereby unite us to the one offering which truly pleases him. He wants us to be brought in fully to the kingdom which shall not end. Let us not restrain our lips from praising him. Let us make
no secret of the kindness and truth which have come to set all things right. Finally we will be able to say these words with all sincerity:
"To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
"Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
We can see in the obedience of Mary the dawn of what salvation truly means. She is simple. She does no great things. She is even afraid. And yet perfect obedience is first manifest in her. Throughout the rest of history we clung to the externals of law and sacrifice because we could focus on them and ignore the fact that we couldn't get our hearts right. We could
never find the words we most wanted to say:
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
We refused to ask the LORD for a sign when he wanted us to ask and yet insisted on it when we desired it as superfluous entertainment. Even so, the LORD brings forth the sign of signs. The virgin conceives and gives birth to Emmanuel, God with us.
Both Mary and Jesus together say: "Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will."
Jesus and Mary give the entirety of their very selves since they know that all that they have is from the Father. We approach oblations and sin-offerings as if they are things of value to God. We treat them like bargaining chips which he is bound to acknowledge. In fact he gives them to us because they are of value to us. But if his will is not first in our hearts they will never do in our hearts what they are intended to do.
We need his law to be in our hearts. We need his obedience in our hearts. We need his "I come to do your will" in our hearts:
"By this "will," we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all."
The LORD wants to overshadow all of his people and to fill us all with his Spirit and thereby unite us to the one offering which truly pleases him. He wants us to be brought in fully to the kingdom which shall not end. Let us not restrain our lips from praising him. Let us make
no secret of the kindness and truth which have come to set all things right. Finally we will be able to say these words with all sincerity:
"To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
Sunday, March 25, 2012
25 March 2012
25 March 2012
"Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him."
How is it that Jesus learned obedience? Since he is God he is omniscient and therefore knows all. Yet he gained an experential knowledge of obedience as he surrendered his own human will to that of his father. That is why it can be said that he was made perfect even though he was perfect in one sense from all eternity. The incarnation and sacrifice of Jesus made him perfectly fitting to be the source of salvation to us who believe. Now he is able to sympathize with us because he has been similarly tested. Because he remains sinless in spite of that testing he can make his obedience manifest in us.
"I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts;
I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
These two necessarily coincide. He wants a relationship with us and that can only happen when the law is fulfilled. The law prohibits only and exactly having false gods. It says that these temporary things, to which we attach undue importance, are fading and cannot satisfy. They cannot be our Father, our elder brother, or the Spirit within us. The law calls us to love and so mere things and pleasures must give way to persons and to God in particular.
"All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD,
for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more."
That is why when our sin is remembered no more we will truly be able to know him. There will be nothing more to stand in our way. Let us pray that he will create a clean heart in us that we may experience the joy of our salvation anew.
"I am troubled now. Yet what should I say?
'Father, save me from this hour?'"
See in this one who can sympathize with us in our weakness. See his obedience as he is made perfect. See in his saying "Father, glory your name" him becoming the source of eternal salvation. The Father responds to such obedience immediately with thunderous approval.
"And when I am lifted up from the earth,
I will draw everyone to myself."
Most perfectly he draws all to himself when he does away with the sin that stands between us. This lifting up is not just unto the cross but unto the throne of heaven. Free from sin our hearts will finally be able to perceive the full extent of his glorious kingship and his reign over all creation.
"Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him."
How is it that Jesus learned obedience? Since he is God he is omniscient and therefore knows all. Yet he gained an experential knowledge of obedience as he surrendered his own human will to that of his father. That is why it can be said that he was made perfect even though he was perfect in one sense from all eternity. The incarnation and sacrifice of Jesus made him perfectly fitting to be the source of salvation to us who believe. Now he is able to sympathize with us because he has been similarly tested. Because he remains sinless in spite of that testing he can make his obedience manifest in us.
"I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts;
I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
These two necessarily coincide. He wants a relationship with us and that can only happen when the law is fulfilled. The law prohibits only and exactly having false gods. It says that these temporary things, to which we attach undue importance, are fading and cannot satisfy. They cannot be our Father, our elder brother, or the Spirit within us. The law calls us to love and so mere things and pleasures must give way to persons and to God in particular.
"All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD,
for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more."
That is why when our sin is remembered no more we will truly be able to know him. There will be nothing more to stand in our way. Let us pray that he will create a clean heart in us that we may experience the joy of our salvation anew.
"I am troubled now. Yet what should I say?
'Father, save me from this hour?'"
See in this one who can sympathize with us in our weakness. See his obedience as he is made perfect. See in his saying "Father, glory your name" him becoming the source of eternal salvation. The Father responds to such obedience immediately with thunderous approval.
"And when I am lifted up from the earth,
I will draw everyone to myself."
Most perfectly he draws all to himself when he does away with the sin that stands between us. This lifting up is not just unto the cross but unto the throne of heaven. Free from sin our hearts will finally be able to perceive the full extent of his glorious kingship and his reign over all creation.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
24 March 2012
24 March 2012
"O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge."
We see such contrast between those who take refuge in the LORD and those who do not. At times, the LORD informs those who trust in him about circumstances which conspire against them. But even when we don't realize the plots hatched against us by the world the LORD will still defend those who place their trust in him.
"A shield before me is God,
who saves the upright of heart"
We shy away because we know our hearts are not upright, at least, not to the degree they should be. Yet the upright of heart are only thus because of the words of the one whose heart is perfectly upright and obedient.
"Never before has anyone spoken like this man."
It is precisely the words of this man which bring the humble to repentance and justice. It is these words which further harden the hearts of the unrepentant. Like Nicodemus, let us at least hear him out and see what he is doing. Then we will be able to realize, like some in the crowd, that "[t]his is the Christ.". He is the one who searches hearts. Let us entrust our cause to him.
"O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge."
We see such contrast between those who take refuge in the LORD and those who do not. At times, the LORD informs those who trust in him about circumstances which conspire against them. But even when we don't realize the plots hatched against us by the world the LORD will still defend those who place their trust in him.
"A shield before me is God,
who saves the upright of heart"
We shy away because we know our hearts are not upright, at least, not to the degree they should be. Yet the upright of heart are only thus because of the words of the one whose heart is perfectly upright and obedient.
"Never before has anyone spoken like this man."
It is precisely the words of this man which bring the humble to repentance and justice. It is these words which further harden the hearts of the unrepentant. Like Nicodemus, let us at least hear him out and see what he is doing. Then we will be able to realize, like some in the crowd, that "[t]his is the Christ.". He is the one who searches hearts. Let us entrust our cause to him.
Friday, March 23, 2012
23 March 2012
23 March 2012
"These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;"
Wickedness always blinds in one way or another. It makes the truth about justice hard to see. The just one becomes a censure to our thoughts. We may even try to dominate him so that we don't have to hear his message or see him hold aloof from the impure paths we walk. This is the case with the authorities of Jerusalem, to whom Jesus says"
"Yet I did not come on my own,
but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.
I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."
So they tried to arrest him,"
What should our attitude be, then?
"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves."
Why brokenhearted? Why crushed in spirit? Because we recognize our own wickedness and corresponding blindness. We realize that we are trapped and can't see the way to righteousness and salvation. This is appropriate whenever it is true and to whatever degree it is true. Yet it is not the LORD's ultimate intention for our lives here.
"Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him."
He wants to deliver us from our blindness. That is why Jesus will go to the places where people are trying to kill him and yet speak openly to the masses. It is not his own human will, which would be to preserve his life, but it is his divine will informed by his mission from the Father to bring salvation. Jesus alone knows the hidden counsels of the Father. He alone can count on a recompense of holiness and the innocent souls' reward. Blessed be God that he has come to share those rewards with us and to make them our inheritance as part of his family.
"The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him."
"These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;"
Wickedness always blinds in one way or another. It makes the truth about justice hard to see. The just one becomes a censure to our thoughts. We may even try to dominate him so that we don't have to hear his message or see him hold aloof from the impure paths we walk. This is the case with the authorities of Jerusalem, to whom Jesus says"
"Yet I did not come on my own,
but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.
I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."
So they tried to arrest him,"
What should our attitude be, then?
"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves."
Why brokenhearted? Why crushed in spirit? Because we recognize our own wickedness and corresponding blindness. We realize that we are trapped and can't see the way to righteousness and salvation. This is appropriate whenever it is true and to whatever degree it is true. Yet it is not the LORD's ultimate intention for our lives here.
"Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him."
He wants to deliver us from our blindness. That is why Jesus will go to the places where people are trying to kill him and yet speak openly to the masses. It is not his own human will, which would be to preserve his life, but it is his divine will informed by his mission from the Father to bring salvation. Jesus alone knows the hidden counsels of the Father. He alone can count on a recompense of holiness and the innocent souls' reward. Blessed be God that he has come to share those rewards with us and to make them our inheritance as part of his family.
"The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him."
Thursday, March 22, 2012
22 March 2012
22 March 2012
"Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people."
The LORD certainly does not forget us. Yet in his wisdom he often waits for us to remind him of the promises he made in the past. He waits until we remind him of his own kindness, compassion, and mercy.
"Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel,
and how you swore to them by your own self, saying,
'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky;
and all this land that I promised,
I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.'"
It isn't as though he's forgotten. Yet this causes the people to be spared. Moses reminds the LORD how he swore by his own self. He reminds him how he took the initiative fully upon himself to see the promise through.
"Then he spoke of exterminating them,
but Moses, his chosen one,
Withstood him in the breach
to turn back his destructive wrath."
It must mean that he wants our hearts to be willing to plead for his people even when they don't seem to deserve it. Ultimately he wants us to have a heart like him that can love regardless of circumstance. That is why we remind him of his mercy and love as we seek it from him. He may withhold it directly so that it can be manifest in and through us as we plead with him.
Moses himself is ultimately pointing toward Jesus. Moses standing in the breach for his people is an imperfect image of what Jesus does for us. Yet neither one "comes in his own name" and seeking his own glory. This makes them harder to accept because they aren't simply our equals. We expose ourselves and make ourselves vulnerable when we accept their words. Mercy and compassion can't come from our own efforts. They can't come from a simply trade with an equal party. They are in God alone, but we do not want to come to him to have life.
Let us trust in Jesus. Let us rejoice in his light and hear the testimony his Father gives.
Let us search the Scriptures and hear them when they speak of him. Then his word will
remain in us and we will not forget the God who saves.
"Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people."
The LORD certainly does not forget us. Yet in his wisdom he often waits for us to remind him of the promises he made in the past. He waits until we remind him of his own kindness, compassion, and mercy.
"Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel,
and how you swore to them by your own self, saying,
'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky;
and all this land that I promised,
I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.'"
It isn't as though he's forgotten. Yet this causes the people to be spared. Moses reminds the LORD how he swore by his own self. He reminds him how he took the initiative fully upon himself to see the promise through.
"Then he spoke of exterminating them,
but Moses, his chosen one,
Withstood him in the breach
to turn back his destructive wrath."
It must mean that he wants our hearts to be willing to plead for his people even when they don't seem to deserve it. Ultimately he wants us to have a heart like him that can love regardless of circumstance. That is why we remind him of his mercy and love as we seek it from him. He may withhold it directly so that it can be manifest in and through us as we plead with him.
Moses himself is ultimately pointing toward Jesus. Moses standing in the breach for his people is an imperfect image of what Jesus does for us. Yet neither one "comes in his own name" and seeking his own glory. This makes them harder to accept because they aren't simply our equals. We expose ourselves and make ourselves vulnerable when we accept their words. Mercy and compassion can't come from our own efforts. They can't come from a simply trade with an equal party. They are in God alone, but we do not want to come to him to have life.
Let us trust in Jesus. Let us rejoice in his light and hear the testimony his Father gives.
Let us search the Scriptures and hear them when they speak of him. Then his word will
remain in us and we will not forget the God who saves.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
21 March 2012
21 March 2012
"But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me."
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you."
We may feel forsaken at times. Circumstances may be dire. We must learn to remember that the LORD is near. The infant must learn that its mother still exists even when she cannot be seen. We must learn that the LORD has not forsaken us even when we cannot see his workings.
"In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you"
He meets all of our needs in Jesus. That is why St Paul reminds us that the day of salvation is now. He says that now is a time of great favor. He is "near to all who call upon him," whether they see him or not. He stands ready to lift up all who are bowed down.
"For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life,
so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes."
Our problem is not that we can't find life. Our problem is that we prefer passing things to life. We wander in deserts and trudge up mountains when the LORD has cut a clear and well-watered path to life, with pasture along the way. We don't see the LORD standing ready to help because we are so fixated on the things of the world.
Our own will is flawed and does not pursue life. But Jesus is our example of a will totally surrendered to the Father. From the Father and through this surrender he has life in himself. He seeks the will of the one who sent him. If we surrender our will to Jesus he will give us his perfectly surrendered will and enable us to seek life along the smooth path he has prepared for us, the path we would never find following our own desires.
"Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted."
"But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me."
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you."
We may feel forsaken at times. Circumstances may be dire. We must learn to remember that the LORD is near. The infant must learn that its mother still exists even when she cannot be seen. We must learn that the LORD has not forsaken us even when we cannot see his workings.
"In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you"
He meets all of our needs in Jesus. That is why St Paul reminds us that the day of salvation is now. He says that now is a time of great favor. He is "near to all who call upon him," whether they see him or not. He stands ready to lift up all who are bowed down.
"For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life,
so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes."
Our problem is not that we can't find life. Our problem is that we prefer passing things to life. We wander in deserts and trudge up mountains when the LORD has cut a clear and well-watered path to life, with pasture along the way. We don't see the LORD standing ready to help because we are so fixated on the things of the world.
Our own will is flawed and does not pursue life. But Jesus is our example of a will totally surrendered to the Father. From the Father and through this surrender he has life in himself. He seeks the will of the one who sent him. If we surrender our will to Jesus he will give us his perfectly surrendered will and enable us to seek life along the smooth path he has prepared for us, the path we would never find following our own desires.
"Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted."
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
20 March 2012
20 March 2012
"Do you want to be well?"
Jesus knew the man had been suffering for a long time. He saw the longing in his eyes for the healing pool which he could never quite reach in time. He knew that his own efforts where never going to get him to that pool. On his own he could never make it to a place where he could be healed. But Jesus is the water of life, of which that pool was only a dim reflection, and so he said "[r]ise, take up your mat, and walk." The water of life finally came to the man after years of not being able to get to it in time on his own. This water is the only true source of our own life.
"There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High."
There is no other stream like this that can gladden and give life. We look to many different sources to quench our thirst and yet the LORD sets before us the one river which can truly meet our needs.
"Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail."
Jesus is the source of our life. He makes our waters fresh and gives growth to our fruit and leaves. This fruit is superabundant, growing monthly rather than seasonally. Even more importantly, this fruit is used to make the medicine that the world desparately needs. It may
seem incongruous that a river can be so important to the city of God but it is not. The river is there precisely because "God is in its midst" and therefore "it shall not be disturbed; God will help it at the break of dawn."
Let us remember that the porticos were normal means, not for natural healing, but supernatural. Even so they were not the LORD's chosen instrument for everyone. Rather than clinging to how we expect him to work in our lives let us cling to he himself.
"The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob."
"Do you want to be well?"
Jesus knew the man had been suffering for a long time. He saw the longing in his eyes for the healing pool which he could never quite reach in time. He knew that his own efforts where never going to get him to that pool. On his own he could never make it to a place where he could be healed. But Jesus is the water of life, of which that pool was only a dim reflection, and so he said "[r]ise, take up your mat, and walk." The water of life finally came to the man after years of not being able to get to it in time on his own. This water is the only true source of our own life.
"There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High."
There is no other stream like this that can gladden and give life. We look to many different sources to quench our thirst and yet the LORD sets before us the one river which can truly meet our needs.
"Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail."
Jesus is the source of our life. He makes our waters fresh and gives growth to our fruit and leaves. This fruit is superabundant, growing monthly rather than seasonally. Even more importantly, this fruit is used to make the medicine that the world desparately needs. It may
seem incongruous that a river can be so important to the city of God but it is not. The river is there precisely because "God is in its midst" and therefore "it shall not be disturbed; God will help it at the break of dawn."
Let us remember that the porticos were normal means, not for natural healing, but supernatural. Even so they were not the LORD's chosen instrument for everyone. Rather than clinging to how we expect him to work in our lives let us cling to he himself.
"The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob."
Monday, March 19, 2012
19 March 2012
19 March 2012
"The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness"
We know that the LORD has made promises to us. It seems like we always assume they are for mankind in general and not for us in particular. We see these promises about posterity to Abraham and an heir to King David and we note them as interesting historical anecdotes. We forget that in these
promises the LORD is establishing a life line to each one of us individually.
In spite of the infidelities upon infidelties of which our history tells, the LORD desires to make all peoples his family. "It was not through the law" and could not be. Such a gift can never be earned. If it is left to our abilities we fall short. Yet in the absence of the law of God's household how can we truly be his family? That is why he continues to make his promise throughout the ages. He raises up men like Abraham and David who strive to follow him. Even they fall short but the they realize that all blessings rest on the initiative of God's promise.
"It was not through the law
that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants
that he would inherit the world,
but through the righteousness that comes from faith."
Faith allows us to receive the promises of God as a gift while still making the efforts in our lives that love demands. We won't be trying to earn our salvation. We will be secure since we know that we are God's family.
"I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever."
We will have the confidence of Joseph who was obedient to the angel's words. Did he thereby earn his place in the Holy Family? No, but the trust he had in God was part of the path by which that family was realized. In our daily lives the permanence of the God's kingdom can be a firm foundation for us.
Let us also say: "You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior." He does not establish his
throne as a historical novelty. He establishes it to bless us. From it he welcomes us into his
family and, by his promises, gives us the confidence to live and abide in him. We will know that his "kindness is established forever".
"The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness"
We know that the LORD has made promises to us. It seems like we always assume they are for mankind in general and not for us in particular. We see these promises about posterity to Abraham and an heir to King David and we note them as interesting historical anecdotes. We forget that in these
promises the LORD is establishing a life line to each one of us individually.
In spite of the infidelities upon infidelties of which our history tells, the LORD desires to make all peoples his family. "It was not through the law" and could not be. Such a gift can never be earned. If it is left to our abilities we fall short. Yet in the absence of the law of God's household how can we truly be his family? That is why he continues to make his promise throughout the ages. He raises up men like Abraham and David who strive to follow him. Even they fall short but the they realize that all blessings rest on the initiative of God's promise.
"It was not through the law
that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants
that he would inherit the world,
but through the righteousness that comes from faith."
Faith allows us to receive the promises of God as a gift while still making the efforts in our lives that love demands. We won't be trying to earn our salvation. We will be secure since we know that we are God's family.
"I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever."
We will have the confidence of Joseph who was obedient to the angel's words. Did he thereby earn his place in the Holy Family? No, but the trust he had in God was part of the path by which that family was realized. In our daily lives the permanence of the God's kingdom can be a firm foundation for us.
Let us also say: "You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior." He does not establish his
throne as a historical novelty. He establishes it to bless us. From it he welcomes us into his
family and, by his promises, gives us the confidence to live and abide in him. We will know that his "kindness is established forever".
Sunday, March 18, 2012
18 March 2012
18 March 2012
"But they mocked the messengers of God,
despised his warnings, and scoffed at his prophets,
until the anger of the LORD against his people was so inflamed
that there was no remedy."
It sounds like this would have been a good time to give up. They he been given a fair chance and they had ignored it. Now there was no remedy and the world they knew was crumbling around them. But the LORD's desire is always to save even when things are hopeless from a human perspective. Even, or perhaps especially, in Babylon we can learn to place Jerusalem ahead of our own joy. In so doing is the only way we will know that joy which we seek and not ruin it with infidelities.
It was hopeless for us as well. We were "dead in our transgressions". The palaces, walls, temples, and precious objects of our past lives could provide no surety without the LORD. Even so, just as God sent Cyrus to rebuild his house for a purified people so too did he send his Son Jesus not just to rebuild our past lives but to raise us up that we might be "seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus".
With Cyrus he fulfilled the words of Jeremiah and we can see that he had always had this plan to restore his people. In Jesus we can see that the plan goes back even further.
"For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works
that God has prepared in advance,
that we should live in them."
He has always had such great plans for us. He knew from the beginning that we would rebel and yet his plans remained unchanged. As we come to know his steadfast love for us let us come to trust in his plan for our lives. God delights to save us. He didn't send his son grudgingly but because he "so loved the world".
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him."
"But they mocked the messengers of God,
despised his warnings, and scoffed at his prophets,
until the anger of the LORD against his people was so inflamed
that there was no remedy."
It sounds like this would have been a good time to give up. They he been given a fair chance and they had ignored it. Now there was no remedy and the world they knew was crumbling around them. But the LORD's desire is always to save even when things are hopeless from a human perspective. Even, or perhaps especially, in Babylon we can learn to place Jerusalem ahead of our own joy. In so doing is the only way we will know that joy which we seek and not ruin it with infidelities.
It was hopeless for us as well. We were "dead in our transgressions". The palaces, walls, temples, and precious objects of our past lives could provide no surety without the LORD. Even so, just as God sent Cyrus to rebuild his house for a purified people so too did he send his Son Jesus not just to rebuild our past lives but to raise us up that we might be "seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus".
With Cyrus he fulfilled the words of Jeremiah and we can see that he had always had this plan to restore his people. In Jesus we can see that the plan goes back even further.
"For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works
that God has prepared in advance,
that we should live in them."
He has always had such great plans for us. He knew from the beginning that we would rebel and yet his plans remained unchanged. As we come to know his steadfast love for us let us come to trust in his plan for our lives. God delights to save us. He didn't send his son grudgingly but because he "so loved the world".
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him."
Amen. Save us, LORD!
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