Monday, January 12, 2015

12 January 2015 - fulfillment time


Ordinary time? It just sounds so ordinary, so boring. Maybe the name is poorly chosen.

This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel.

How about fulfillment time? How about the time when all the promises of God are ours for the taking?

In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways 
to our ancestors through the prophets; 

What is ordinary for us? It is not the partial and incomplete like it is in times past.

in these last days, he spoke to us through the Son, 
whom he made heir of all things 
and through whom he created the universe,

This is the time of fulfillment. God's plan is revealed. The "mystery hidden from ages past" is now so fully known and revealed on earth that the Church makes it known "to the principalities and authorities in the heavens" (cf. Eph. 3:9-11). That is the reverse of what anyone would guess. And what is made known? What do we teach angels? We reveal "the inscrutable riches of Christ" (cf. Eph 3:8).

who is the refulgence of his glory, 
the very imprint of his being,
and who sustains all things by his mighty word.

He is Emmanuel. He is the Word become flesh. And the angels can only understand this nearness by watching our worship as we return the love God shows us. This is the love which surpasses knowledge (cf. Eph. 3:19). We receive bread from heaven, the body and blood of the LORD, which pure spirits cannot receive. Angels certainly have some idea what is happening in the abstract. But the depths of love which we are shown is something which we must convey.

The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
Let all his angels worship him.

In these days of fulfillment Jesus is closer to us than we would ever dare to hope. The sacraments stand ready as unfailing means of grace. He waits for us in the Blessed Sacrament. He longs to answer our prayers by pouring out his Holy Spirit on us. He teaches us through Scripture and the Magesterium. It is a good thing the angels are perfected already lest they be jealous of all these blessings.

When we realize that Jesus is the fulfillment of every one of God's promises we hear his invitation and respond:

Jesus said to them,
"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."

When we know that Jesus is God's yes to every promise we don't need to sit and analyze (cf. 2 Cor. 1:20). We know that he is exactly the fulfillment on which we wait. This is the chance that is promised throughout history. But it is just a hint and a rumor before now. We, unlike all who come before, are invited to stand, to move, and to follow Jesus.

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