3 July 2024 - seen and unseen

Today's Readings

(Audio)

So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”

But Thomas said to them,

“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands

and put my finger into the nailmarks

and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

The Church is a living temple built with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. But the process individuals being joined to this temple, or more fully incorporated into it, is sometimes challenging. We can't completely control who is present and who is absent. We can (and should) try to tell others that, "We have seen the Lord", but this, by itself will never be fully sufficient. For a new branch to be grafted onto the vine requires the work of the gardener. For us to become a dwelling place of God in the Spirit requires that we are "built together" by God himself. The workings of providence that bring this about tend to be somewhat obscure. We all have hard edges with odd angles that need to be sanded down to fit smoothly into the place meant for us.

Thomas could not just walk in the door and immediately embrace a superficial faith at the mere say so of his fellows. On one level this seemed to reveal a lack of trust and those who had been his companions. But it is often the case the such a rapid acceptance of the Good News lacks sufficient roots. And in any case we remember how recently the disciples had almost without exception proved that they were unworthy of trust. 

Thomas realized there could have been any number of reasons why the others would have claimed to have seen the Lord. Furthermore, if the Lord had indeed appeared, why had he chosen to do so when Thomas was absent? It was perhaps easier to believe that his friends were overly credulous or even crazy than to believe that Jesus had neglected or abandoned him. He couldn't believe that it was simply bad timing on the part of Jesus. If a) Jesus was truly risen and b) really wanted to see him then c) he certainly would have found a time when all of Eleven were assembled. 

Now a week later his disciples were again inside

and Thomas was with them.

We notice that Thomas had not abandoned the companionship of the other disciples. And this time before Jesus revealed himself to Thomas must have been a challenging time with the others, them so full of joy, Thomas still gripped by sadness and despair. Yet it was into such a human situation that Jesus again entered and where he chose to reveal himself. Neither the misgivings of Thomas nor even the physical doors were any obstacle to him. He didn't wait to hear whether or not Thomas would be so bold as to ask for the proof he had told the others he would require. No, like the father of the prodigal son he embraced Thomas with his love before Thomas could get any words off of his lips. He knew exactly what Thomas had asked the others when he was supposedly absent. Thomas, for his part, was already so overwhelmed by the presence of Jesus that he had forgotten all the previous possible objections that had been circulating in his mind. Somehow the joy of the resurrection was more than enough to compensate for any tears shed on the way. There was now no reason to doubt divine providence, that even his absence at the previous appearance of the Lord was part of a larger plan.

It was not an accident that that particular disciple was not present. The Divine mercy ordained that a doubting disciple should, by feeling in his Master the wounds of the flesh, heal in us the wounds of unbelief. The unbelief of Thomas is more profitable to our faith, than the belief of the other disciples; for, the touch by which he is brought to believe, confirming our minds in belief, beyond all question.

- Saint Gregory

Thomas gave the most clear and direct confession of the divinity of Jesus in any of the four Gospels, saying "My Lord and my God!" Although he came to believe through the mediation of the visible signs of the risen body of the Lord still marked with his sacred wounds he nevertheless believed something greater than what sight could reveal.

Thomas saw and touched the man, and confessed the God whom he neither saw nor touched. By means of the one he believed the other undoubtingly: Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God.

- Saint Augustine

The confession of Thomas was also for those future generations of Christians who would not see visible signs but who would still believe through the testimony of the disciples. Of this testimony, none is more persuasive than that of Thomas, precisely because it was so hard won.

Graham Kendrick - We Believe

Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist - Te Deum

2 July 2024 - storm watchers

Today's Readings

(Audio)

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.

Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,

so that the boat was being swamped by waves;

There were parallels between this storm and the one that threatened Jonah when he tried to flee from God's command that he go and preach to Nineveh.

But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god (see Jonah 1:4-5).

There was a great storm leading to great fear on both boats, and in each case the prophetic figure slept and had to be awakened. Both were called to preach repentance. As a part of that mission they both willing sacrificed themselves. Jonah was willingly thrown from the boat and Jesus willing embraced the cross.

Yet there was a still greater dissimilarity that the common elements put into relief. Jesus was going to Gentile territory of his own accord because he desired to spread the good news of salvation. Jonah only preached to Nineveh because his other options had been eliminated. Ultimately, he was disappointed to see them repent at his preaching. Jesus, by contrast, was distressed at those who would not welcome his message. 

How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! (see Matthew 23:37).

In the case of Jonah the storm he himself caused by his disobedience was stopped by his self-sacrifice. But in the case of Jesus a storm, blocking not his escape, but his way forward, was stopped by his word of command. Jonah's self-sacrifice was not entirely altruistic. The only other option seemed to be to take everyone else down with him. Still, he eventually made the choice that allowed God to put his mission back on track. In Jesus' case, the storm was not a result of any failure on his part. And he himself had no sin that needed to be accounted for by his self-sacrifice (see Hebrews 7:27). He was entirely free (see John 10:18), and chose freely to love us to the end (see John 13:1). Still today there is joy in heaven over even one sinner who repents (See Luke 15:7). This contrasts starkly with the lament of Jonah that Nineveh would not be destroyed.

However, in both cases the storm was calmed and the will of God was accomplished. For the one it was in spite of reluctance, for the other it was with complete cooperation and obedience. This experience might have been part of the frame of reference when Jesus mentioned that the only sign he would give to that generation was the sign of Jonah (see Matthew 12:38-42).

In the case of Jonah, it was God who calmed the seas once Jonah was removed from the boat. But in the case of Jesus, it was he himself who rebuked the storm, as he had rebuked demonic spirits in the past, and caused the storm to cease. Truly, there was something greater than Jonah in their midst. Nineveh repented even at the preaching of a reluctant prophet like Jonah. And yet we often seem content to perish while Jesus is so close at hand and ready and willing to deliver us. Sometimes it seems like we would rather complain and go down with the ship than actually humble ourselves and ask Jesus to save us. Ultimately salvation is something only Jesus can give. Let's turn to him now, confident that it is for this purpose that he came.

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The idea to talk about the parallels came from the Letters From Home Podcast. Ideas for specific parallels came from an article on the Desiring God Community Church website. 

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Elevation Worship - Praise

1 July 2024 - not here, but now

Saint Junipero Serra

Today's Readings
(Audio)

"Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,

but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."

The Son of Man came to his own but his own received him not (see John 1:11). This was literally the case in Bethlehem where "there was no place for them in the inn" (see Luke 2:7). Perhaps this man hoped that Jesus would one day occupy a palace after the triumph of his Kingdom. But while Herod, "that fox" (see Luke 13:32) was found in a palace, where "those who wear soft clothing" (see Matthew 11:9) are to be found, Jesus had no plans to take up residence in an earthly palace. In order to follow Jesus, Jesus himself had to be the central goal. One could not instead hope to follow him somewhere and for something that he could then choose over and against the one who led him there. Such distracted desires would not conduce to the path of the true disciple.

Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom (See Song of Solomon 2:15).

The scribe may also have assumed that Jesus was going to be a religious leader. Since he had called him a "Teacher" he might have assumed that he would find his proper place in a temple, like the birds who made their nests at the altars of the Lord (see Psalm 83:3). But in a great collusion of worldly powers, the leaders of state and religion would conspire to ensure that the Son of Man would truly have nowhere to lay his head. The climax of this alienation of the creator from his creation was the cross where Jesus desired but was not permitted to rest. There was to be true rest for both Messiah and disciples only on the far side of that cross. Only after that cruciform posture was forced upon Jesus would he bring humanity to a deeper form of rest in the Father's heart. The resurrection would make it possible to live even waking temporal existence from this posture of rest. From this we can begin to understand how there will be no need for night or for further rest once the Kingdom fully arrives.

And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever (see Revelation 22:5).

As disciples we may be tempted to try to find a posture which requires no further change, to truly arrive in such a way that we no longer need to listen to further guidance or to internalize further teaching. But we never fully arrive in this life, which is always a pilgrimage to something greater and something more. Rest stops along the way are necessary to restore us so that we can continue this journey until the end. But when we are tempted to make them the end in themselves let us arise and keep going, just as Jesus does.

Another of his disciples said to him,

"Lord, let me go first and bury my father."

But Jesus answered him, "Follow me,

and let the dead bury their dead."

Augustine famously said, "Make me chaste, but not yet", or something to that effect. And oftentimes many of us perceive the goodness of the call of God, but would prefer to continue to dabble in lesser goods (which are often sinful), rather than embrace that good here and now. We look for distractions. If possible we candy coat them with the veneer of duty or religious obligation. But no such excuses are ever valid, since nothing trumps the claim of God on our lives. To make a full and vigorous commitment to Jesus may seem to involve giving up former things to such a degree as to be painfully difficult or impossible. But our addiction to sin won't grow any easier to sever when we dally with it further. The sooner we choose to follow Jesus fully the better. We will then proceed with less baggage, fewer wounds requiring supernatural healing. Let us learn to stop hesitating before our hesitation turns into an outright refusal. Let us go now, trusting that the good we will find in Christ is to be preferred to even the greatest earthly goods.

Audrey Assad - Good To Me