The weather today was predicted to be quite bad - "Wind warning in effect. Blowing snow advisory in effect. Wind southwest 60 km/h gusting to 110. High 9 with temperature falling to plus 1 this afternoon... Tonight...Flurries at times heavy. Local amount 2 to 4 cm...Wind chill minus 10 in the evening and minus 18(!) overnight." Ouch!!!
That’s why we went to church last night! Father Ian was particularly on fire! He read from the Gospel passage Luke 6:27-38 which has the main theme of “Love your Enemies”. He told us this is perhaps one of Jesus’ hardest sayings and He meant what he said! Although “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again.”(vss 27-30) is so against our fallen nature, Jesus will not ask us to do something we can not do. He promises grace through His sacraments. We are to be patient with ourselves as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us to enable us to accomplish what seems impossible. We may not be able to accomplish this in this short life time but we will see evidence of transformation. First we must acknowledge that this is Jesus best intention for us and submit to His authority. We then ask the Spirit to speak to our heart each time we encounter our enemy. Whenever we do our Examination of Conscience we will be quick to discover our deficiencies. We then go to confession and repent of our sins and ask God to give us the grace we need to change. God intends to recreate us following His divine nature. I so look forward to this... when His work in me is done! May His Name be praised!
Father Ian then pointed out in the Old Testament passage we also read today (1 Samuel 26:2-23) where King David demonstrated what loving your enemy looked like.
Finally, this is a wonderful homily from Father Jordan Schmidt on the same passage:
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/jesus-means-what-he-says
What I appreciate the most is his explanation of the New Testament passage we also read today
(1 Corinthians 15:45-49 - this link combines both the English and Greek versions): "Paul again uses the word eikōn to explain that we resemble our spiritual origin just as we resemble our earthly one: “Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one” (vs 49). In other words, by taking on flesh and becoming like us, Jesus Christ enables us to become like him. Indeed, the salvific life of grace transforms us into a new creation — a new image of our heavenly origin — and when we are so transformed, we are able to imitate Jesus Christ by complying with his commands to love our enemies and pray for them. "
AMEN!!!
Sunday, 24 February 2019
Sunday, 17 February 2019
Te Deum - time to learn Latin!
I have been feeling a bit better lately. Just returned from a vacation which took me to Yuma, Arizona (to visit my wife's aging aunt) and then to San Diego for our annual California holiday. My symptoms of Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (the diagnosis on which my specialist doctors have more or less agreed) have been milder and much more tolerable, although I haven't put on much weight yet despite a fairly good appetite on most days. My energy has also improved quite a bit and I have been able to drive for longer distances. Now if only I can get back on my bike! Well the plan is to try that after Easter. I am really looking forward to it.
One of the many blessings through the last few months has been an increase awareness of how blessed my life has been and that this suffering I am going through has brought more clarity on my life's meaning and purpose; and the brevity of it. I have been more regular in my spiritual reading and prayers (including daily praying the St. Jude Novena and Novena to Our Lady the Undoer of Knots!). My wife helps with the reading and praying whenever I am too incapacitated to do so by myself. Although I have resigned from all but one clinical responsibilities (I now only look after 25 patients in a nursing home) I have tried to keep my brain active. I am learning Italian and Mandarin on top of German using the Duolingo App every day! I still get involved with my longstanding eHealth related projects (https://worldoscar.org/) mostly via email and teleconferences.
Now on to today's topic. In my daily reading of the Office of Readings I frequently end the day with Te Deum. According to this site: Te Deum, also sometimes called the Ambrosian Hymn because of its association with St. Ambrose, is a traditional hymn of joy and thanksgiving. First attributed to Sts. Ambrose, Augustine, or Hilary, it is now accredited to Nicetas, Bishop of Remesiana (4th century). It is used at the conclusion of the Office of the Readings for the Liturgy of the Hours on Sundays outside Lent, daily during the Octaves of Christmas and Easter, and on Solemnities and Feast Days. The petitions at the end were added at a later time and are optional. A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who recite it in thanksgiving and a plenary indulgence is granted if the hymn is recited publicly on the last day of the year. And the original with English translation look like this:
Now have a listen to the Gregorian chant of Te Deum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ9nBRKjwMg
It got me interested in learning Latin in order to more fully appreciate the scripture text. A little while ago I asked my pastor to direct me to an online course but while still waiting for his response I found this The Vulgate Latin Course! It uses the online textbook by William Dodds and Dwane Thomas has produced a series of online video to accompany it! And here is the online Vulgate - the Latin bible translation which I will be reading from. I am quite excited about this and will report what I learn on this blog in the future.
Before I end this blog, here is the well known translation of the Te Deum, which, though not literal, preserves much of the spirit and force of the original. Except for the seventh stanza, which is a rendering of verses 20 and 21 by Msgr. Hugh Thomas Henry (1862-1946), it was written by Fr. Clarence Alphonsus Walworth (1820-1900):
HOLY God, we praise Thy Name
Lord of all we bow before Thee;
all on earth Thy scepter claim,
all in heaven above adore Thee;
Infinite Thy vast domain,
everlasting is Thy reign.
HARK, the loud celestial hymn
angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and Seraphim
in unceasing chorus praising,
fill the heavens with sweet accord;
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord!
LO, the Apostolic train
Join, Thy sacred name to hallow:
prophets swell the loud refrain,
and the white-robed Martyrs follow;
and, from morn till set of sun,
through the Church the song goes on.
HOLY Father, Holy Son,
Holy Spirit, Three we name Thee,
While in essence only One,
undivided God we claim Thee:
and, adoring, bend the knee
while we own the mystery.
THOU art King of glory, Christ:
Son of God, yet born of Mary;
for us sinners sacrificed,
and to death a tributary:
first to break the bars of death,
Thou has opened heaven to faith.
FROM Thy high celestial home,
Judge of all, again returning,
we believe that Thou shalt come
in the dreaded Doomsday morning;
when Thy voice shall shake the earth,
and the startled dead come forth.
THEREFORE do we pray Thee, Lord:
help Thy servants whom, redeeming
by Thy Precious Blood out-poured,
Thou hast saved from Satan's scheming.
Give to them eternal rest
in the glory of the Blest.
SPARE Thy people, Lord, we pray,
by a thousand snares surrounded:
keep us without sin today,
never let us be confounded.
Lo, I put my trust in Thee;
never, Lord, abandon me.
One of the many blessings through the last few months has been an increase awareness of how blessed my life has been and that this suffering I am going through has brought more clarity on my life's meaning and purpose; and the brevity of it. I have been more regular in my spiritual reading and prayers (including daily praying the St. Jude Novena and Novena to Our Lady the Undoer of Knots!). My wife helps with the reading and praying whenever I am too incapacitated to do so by myself. Although I have resigned from all but one clinical responsibilities (I now only look after 25 patients in a nursing home) I have tried to keep my brain active. I am learning Italian and Mandarin on top of German using the Duolingo App every day! I still get involved with my longstanding eHealth related projects (https://worldoscar.org/) mostly via email and teleconferences.
Now on to today's topic. In my daily reading of the Office of Readings I frequently end the day with Te Deum. According to this site: Te Deum, also sometimes called the Ambrosian Hymn because of its association with St. Ambrose, is a traditional hymn of joy and thanksgiving. First attributed to Sts. Ambrose, Augustine, or Hilary, it is now accredited to Nicetas, Bishop of Remesiana (4th century). It is used at the conclusion of the Office of the Readings for the Liturgy of the Hours on Sundays outside Lent, daily during the Octaves of Christmas and Easter, and on Solemnities and Feast Days. The petitions at the end were added at a later time and are optional. A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who recite it in thanksgiving and a plenary indulgence is granted if the hymn is recited publicly on the last day of the year. And the original with English translation look like this:
| TE DEUM laudamus: te Dominum confitemur. Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur. Tibi omnes Angeli; tibi Caeli et universae Potestates; Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim incessabili voce proclamant: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae. Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus, Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus, Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus. Te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur Ecclesia, Patrem immensae maiestatis: Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium; Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum. Tu Rex gloriae, Christe. Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius. Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem, ...Virginis uterum. Tu, devicto mortis aculeo, aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum. Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris. Iudex crederis esse venturus. Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni: ... sanguine redemisti. Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari. V. Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae. R. Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum. V. Per singulos dies benedicimus te. R. Et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi. V. Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire. R. Miserere nostri, Domine, miserere nostri. V. Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos, quemadmodum speravimus in te. R. In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in aeternum. |
O GOD, we praise Thee: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord. Everlasting Father, all the earth doth worship Thee. To Thee all the Angels, the Heavens and all the Powers, all the Cherubim and Seraphim, unceasingly proclaim: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts! Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory. The glorious choir of the Apostles, the wonderful company of Prophets, the white-robed army of Martyrs, praise Thee. Holy Church throughout the world doth acknowledge Thee: the Father of infinite Majesty; Thy adorable, true and only Son; and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. O Christ, Thou art the King of glory! Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. Thou, having taken it upon Thyself ... didst not disdain the Virgin's womb. Thou overcame the sting of death and...to believers the Kingdom of Heaven. Thou sitest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father. We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge. We beseech Thee,...Thy servants ... redeemed with Thy Precious Blood. Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints in everlasting glory. V. Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thine inheritance! R. Govern them, and raise them up forever. V. Every day we thank Thee. R. And we praise Thy Name forever, yea, forever and ever. V. O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day. R. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us. V. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee. R. O Lord, in Thee I have hoped; let me never be put to shame. |
Now have a listen to the Gregorian chant of Te Deum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ9nBRKjwMg
It got me interested in learning Latin in order to more fully appreciate the scripture text. A little while ago I asked my pastor to direct me to an online course but while still waiting for his response I found this The Vulgate Latin Course! It uses the online textbook by William Dodds and Dwane Thomas has produced a series of online video to accompany it! And here is the online Vulgate - the Latin bible translation which I will be reading from. I am quite excited about this and will report what I learn on this blog in the future.
Before I end this blog, here is the well known translation of the Te Deum, which, though not literal, preserves much of the spirit and force of the original. Except for the seventh stanza, which is a rendering of verses 20 and 21 by Msgr. Hugh Thomas Henry (1862-1946), it was written by Fr. Clarence Alphonsus Walworth (1820-1900):
HOLY God, we praise Thy Name
Lord of all we bow before Thee;
all on earth Thy scepter claim,
all in heaven above adore Thee;
Infinite Thy vast domain,
everlasting is Thy reign.
HARK, the loud celestial hymn
angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and Seraphim
in unceasing chorus praising,
fill the heavens with sweet accord;
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord!
LO, the Apostolic train
Join, Thy sacred name to hallow:
prophets swell the loud refrain,
and the white-robed Martyrs follow;
and, from morn till set of sun,
through the Church the song goes on.
HOLY Father, Holy Son,
Holy Spirit, Three we name Thee,
While in essence only One,
undivided God we claim Thee:
and, adoring, bend the knee
while we own the mystery.
THOU art King of glory, Christ:
Son of God, yet born of Mary;
for us sinners sacrificed,
and to death a tributary:
first to break the bars of death,
Thou has opened heaven to faith.
FROM Thy high celestial home,
Judge of all, again returning,
we believe that Thou shalt come
in the dreaded Doomsday morning;
when Thy voice shall shake the earth,
and the startled dead come forth.
THEREFORE do we pray Thee, Lord:
help Thy servants whom, redeeming
by Thy Precious Blood out-poured,
Thou hast saved from Satan's scheming.
Give to them eternal rest
in the glory of the Blest.
SPARE Thy people, Lord, we pray,
by a thousand snares surrounded:
keep us without sin today,
never let us be confounded.
Lo, I put my trust in Thee;
never, Lord, abandon me.
Friday, 11 January 2019
Who is the victor over the world?
Beloved:
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
(1 John 5:5)
Today is day 9 of my vomiting cycle! I am rejoicing that St. Jude Thaddeus is praying on my behalf!
This is the Novena my wife and I have been praying daily (it's a cycle of nine days):
Novena To St. Jude
Most holy Apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of difficult cases, of things almost despaired of, Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone.
Intercede with God for me that He bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly - David's Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
- and that I may praise God with you and all the saints forever. I promise, O Blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor granted me by God and to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you.
Amen
May the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, and loved in all the tabernacles until the end of time. Amen.
May the most Sacred Heart of Jesus be praised and glorified now and forever. Amen
St. Jude pray for us and hear our prayers. Amen.
Blessed be the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Blessed be the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Blessed be St. Jude Thaddeus, in all the world and for all Eternity.
(followed by the Our Father and the Hail Mary)
We also invoked our own Guardian Angel in this prayer:
Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
To whom God's love
commits me here,
Ever this day,
be at my side,
To light and guard,
Rule and guide.
Amen.
Today's scripture reading is from 1 Jn 5:5-13 and Lk 5:12-16. Father Joseph explained in his homily this morning that "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:12-13) and (a man covered with leprosy) begged him, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do choose. Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him." (Luke 5:12-13).
Jesus promises that if I believe Jesus is the Son of God then I will have victory over the world. He is primarily talking about victory over the spiritual world (Ephesians 6:12) but in the case of the man with leprosy He meant the physical world as well. Now read this:
"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8: 35-39)
Why am I so confident?
It's because "It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us." (Romans 8:34) And also "The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective." (James 5:16) - that's why I invoke St. Jude Thaddeus and my Blessed Mother (saying my daily Rosary) to intercede for me as well.
May God be praised!
For "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." (Philippians 4:12)
and I know that "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me." (Philippians 1:21-26).
Alleluya!
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
(1 John 5:5)
Today is day 9 of my vomiting cycle! I am rejoicing that St. Jude Thaddeus is praying on my behalf!
This is the Novena my wife and I have been praying daily (it's a cycle of nine days):
Novena To St. Jude
Most holy Apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of difficult cases, of things almost despaired of, Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone.
Intercede with God for me that He bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly - David's Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
- and that I may praise God with you and all the saints forever. I promise, O Blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor granted me by God and to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you.
Amen
May the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, and loved in all the tabernacles until the end of time. Amen.
May the most Sacred Heart of Jesus be praised and glorified now and forever. Amen
St. Jude pray for us and hear our prayers. Amen.
Blessed be the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Blessed be the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Blessed be St. Jude Thaddeus, in all the world and for all Eternity.
(followed by the Our Father and the Hail Mary)
We also invoked our own Guardian Angel in this prayer:
Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
To whom God's love
commits me here,
Ever this day,
be at my side,
To light and guard,
Rule and guide.
Amen.
Today's scripture reading is from 1 Jn 5:5-13 and Lk 5:12-16. Father Joseph explained in his homily this morning that "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:12-13) and (a man covered with leprosy) begged him, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do choose. Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him." (Luke 5:12-13).
Jesus promises that if I believe Jesus is the Son of God then I will have victory over the world. He is primarily talking about victory over the spiritual world (Ephesians 6:12) but in the case of the man with leprosy He meant the physical world as well. Now read this:
"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8: 35-39)
Why am I so confident?
It's because "It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us." (Romans 8:34) And also "The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective." (James 5:16) - that's why I invoke St. Jude Thaddeus and my Blessed Mother (saying my daily Rosary) to intercede for me as well.
May God be praised!
For "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." (Philippians 4:12)
and I know that "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me." (Philippians 1:21-26).
Alleluya!
Friday, 28 December 2018
Feast of the Holy Innocents and the Meaning of Suffering
It has been a month since I last blogged. I had been quite unwell. But today is a good day and I just heard an amazing homily at Mass this morning. Today is the "Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs". It commemorates the event recorded in Matthew 2:16 "When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. "
From the Catholic Daily Reflections:
"We can only imagine the grief that would have filled the town of Bethlehem and its vicinity as the soldiers went through killing those innocent children as their parents watched helplessly. On one hand, it’s shocking to know that God permitted this. On the other hand, on a level of deep faith, we must strive to understand the witness that these innocent children gave.
Though this was an unspeakable crime and evil, from the perspective of eternity, it will be sorted out by God. In Heaven and forevermore, these innocent victims will wear the martyr’s crown and will be honored by the angels and saints as the first witnesses to the newborn King. Though this may not have eased the pain at the time, it will certainly transform the pain those families felt as they enter into the justice of Heaven.
Their witness reveals to us much about our own lives. It reveals that there are many times in life when things are simply not fair and not just. The massacre of these innocent children is a powerful reminder of this fact. But one thing we must hold on to is that God will right every wrong in the end. Today, we celebrate a solemn feast in the honor of these children as a way of saying that God has transformed this tragedy into something glorious."
At the homily this morning, Fr. Joseph had these to say (and I expanded it with my own reflections and scriptural references):
(1) King Harold was afraid that his power will be taken away by this newborn king. Not knowing that Jesus' kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36) King Harold let this fear drive him to do such a treacherous act. In what way am I like King Harold? What are the fears that drive me to do evil?
"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (I Corinthians 6:9-11)
"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions" (Galatians 5:19-20)
And from today's scripture reading: "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." (I John 1:5-2:2)
But praise be to God, Jesus the newborn King will be offering Himself on the cross to be the atoning sacrifice for my sins. What I need to do is to examine my conscience regularly, offer myself as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1; especially by attending regular Mass) with a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17), then confess my sins to the priest and "If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness".
(2) "Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare." was the Responsorial Psalm which is based on Psalm 124. The Gospel passage for today is Matthew 2:13-15
"Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”"
It brings to mind a familiar passage in scripture "No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
My recent illness is a testament to this. Through the many days of suffering, I was reminded that God is all sufficient and is able to provide. I spent the many hours of laying in bed learning to offer up my suffering for the salvation of my children and grand children. I even managed to memorize 6 Psalms in the bible (Psalms 1, 8, 23, 24, 103, and 121)! And because I was trying to reduce "screen time" my dear wife would read to me almost every day the Morning Offering and the Liturgy of the Hours. We pray together the Prayer to the Holy Apostle St. Jude (Patron of the desperate):
"O most holy apostle, Saint Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honoureth and invoketh thee universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, and of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, who am so miserable. Make use, I implore thee, of that particular privilege accorded to thee, to bring visible and speedy help where help was almost despaired of. Come to mine assistance in this great need, that I may receive the consolation and succor of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (here make your request: for David) and that I may praise God with thee and all the elect throughout eternity. I promise thee, O blessed Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favour, to always honour thee as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to thee.
Amen."
And then we pray together the Daily Prayer to Guardian Angel:
Angel of God
My guardian dear
To Whom His love
Commits me here
Ever this day
Be at my side
To light and guard
To rule and guide. Amen
You see, through my suffering I learn to identify with St. Paul: "I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. " (Colossians 1:24) and understand better what St. Peter meant: "But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. " (1 Peter 4:13) and bring to mind St. James encouragement: "My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4).
Just two days before (December 26) we celebrated the "Feast of the Martyrdom of St. Stephen" which was based on Acts 7:58-59. St. Stephen's life maybe cut short but he modeled for us with these two amazing prayers which were the same prayers of Jesus on the cross:
"While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”" (Acts 7:59)
He had committed his life to the Lord Jesus and endured to the end; and,
"Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died." (Acts 7:60)
This is what Jesus meant when He exhorted us to forgive our enemies!
From the Catholic Daily Reflections:
"We can only imagine the grief that would have filled the town of Bethlehem and its vicinity as the soldiers went through killing those innocent children as their parents watched helplessly. On one hand, it’s shocking to know that God permitted this. On the other hand, on a level of deep faith, we must strive to understand the witness that these innocent children gave.
Though this was an unspeakable crime and evil, from the perspective of eternity, it will be sorted out by God. In Heaven and forevermore, these innocent victims will wear the martyr’s crown and will be honored by the angels and saints as the first witnesses to the newborn King. Though this may not have eased the pain at the time, it will certainly transform the pain those families felt as they enter into the justice of Heaven.
Their witness reveals to us much about our own lives. It reveals that there are many times in life when things are simply not fair and not just. The massacre of these innocent children is a powerful reminder of this fact. But one thing we must hold on to is that God will right every wrong in the end. Today, we celebrate a solemn feast in the honor of these children as a way of saying that God has transformed this tragedy into something glorious."
At the homily this morning, Fr. Joseph had these to say (and I expanded it with my own reflections and scriptural references):
(1) King Harold was afraid that his power will be taken away by this newborn king. Not knowing that Jesus' kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36) King Harold let this fear drive him to do such a treacherous act. In what way am I like King Harold? What are the fears that drive me to do evil?
"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (I Corinthians 6:9-11)
"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions" (Galatians 5:19-20)
And from today's scripture reading: "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." (I John 1:5-2:2)
But praise be to God, Jesus the newborn King will be offering Himself on the cross to be the atoning sacrifice for my sins. What I need to do is to examine my conscience regularly, offer myself as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1; especially by attending regular Mass) with a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17), then confess my sins to the priest and "If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness".
(2) "Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare." was the Responsorial Psalm which is based on Psalm 124. The Gospel passage for today is Matthew 2:13-15
"Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”"
It brings to mind a familiar passage in scripture "No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
My recent illness is a testament to this. Through the many days of suffering, I was reminded that God is all sufficient and is able to provide. I spent the many hours of laying in bed learning to offer up my suffering for the salvation of my children and grand children. I even managed to memorize 6 Psalms in the bible (Psalms 1, 8, 23, 24, 103, and 121)! And because I was trying to reduce "screen time" my dear wife would read to me almost every day the Morning Offering and the Liturgy of the Hours. We pray together the Prayer to the Holy Apostle St. Jude (Patron of the desperate):
"O most holy apostle, Saint Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honoureth and invoketh thee universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, and of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, who am so miserable. Make use, I implore thee, of that particular privilege accorded to thee, to bring visible and speedy help where help was almost despaired of. Come to mine assistance in this great need, that I may receive the consolation and succor of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (here make your request: for David) and that I may praise God with thee and all the elect throughout eternity. I promise thee, O blessed Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favour, to always honour thee as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to thee.
Amen."
And then we pray together the Daily Prayer to Guardian Angel:
Angel of God
My guardian dear
To Whom His love
Commits me here
Ever this day
Be at my side
To light and guard
To rule and guide. Amen
You see, through my suffering I learn to identify with St. Paul: "I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. " (Colossians 1:24) and understand better what St. Peter meant: "But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. " (1 Peter 4:13) and bring to mind St. James encouragement: "My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4).
Just two days before (December 26) we celebrated the "Feast of the Martyrdom of St. Stephen" which was based on Acts 7:58-59. St. Stephen's life maybe cut short but he modeled for us with these two amazing prayers which were the same prayers of Jesus on the cross:
"While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”" (Acts 7:59)
He had committed his life to the Lord Jesus and endured to the end; and,
"Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died." (Acts 7:60)
This is what Jesus meant when He exhorted us to forgive our enemies!
Tuesday, 27 November 2018
This Earthly Tent
I have been quite unwell in recent weeks. When I was really sick it often brought to mind that my earthly days were numbered and it was useful to think about what I should be doing for the rest of my days. I had some spiritual guidance from Father Joseph last week, a Nigerian priest who is now a missionary to Canada - talk about the reverse of the missionary movement - praise God!
By God’s wonderful providence, my reading from the Liturgy of the Hours this morning includes the passage from 2 Peter 1:12-21 and it goes like this:
“Therefore I intend to keep on reminding you of these things, though you know them already and are established in the truth that has come to you. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to refresh your memory, since I know that my death will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.
So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
Verses 13-15 are more accurately translated this way: ”I am sure it is my duty, as long as I am in this tent, to keep stirring you up with reminders, since I know the time for taking off this tent is coming soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ foretold to me. And I shall take great care that after my own departure you will still have a means to recall these things to memory.”
I then read this cmmentary from St. Augustine which is about this passage. It’s worth quoting it here since I will have a hard time finding it later. It has the title:
A treatise of St Augustine on St John's gospel - You will come to the spring and see light itself
We Christians are the light, at least by comparison with unbelievers. Thus the Apostle says: Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk then as sons of the light. And elsewhere he says: The night is far spent, the day is drawing near. Let us therefore lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; let us walk uprightly as in the day.
Nevertheless, since the days in which we are now living are still dark compared to the light which we shall see, hear what the apostle Peter says. He speaks of a voice that came from the Supreme Glory and said to the Lord Jesus Christ: You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. This voice, he says, we heard coming from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain. Because we ourselves were not present there and did not hear that voice from heaven, Peter says to us: And we possess a more certain prophetic word to which you do well to attend, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
When, therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ comes and, as the apostle Paul says, brings to light things hidden in darkness and makes plain the secrets of the heart, so that everyone may receive his commendation from God, then lamps will no longer be needed. When that day is at hand, the prophet will not be read to us, the book of the Apostle will not be opened, we shall not require the testimony of John, we shall have no need of the Gospel itself. Therefore all Scriptures will be taken away from us, those Scriptures which in the night of this world burned like lamps so that we might not remain in darkness.
When all these things are removed as no longer necessary for our illumination, and when the men of God by whom they were ministered to us shall themselves together with us behold the true and dear light without such aids, what shall we see? With what shall our minds be nourished? What will give joy to our gaze? Where will that gladness come from, which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, which has not even been conceived by the heart of man? What shall we see?
I implore you to love with me and, by believing, to run with me; let us long for our heavenly country, let us sigh for our heavenly home, let us truly feel that here we are strangers. What shall we then see? Let the gospel tell us: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. You will come to the fountain, with whose dew you have already been sprinkled. Instead of the ray of light which was sent through slanting and winding ways into the heart of your darkness, you will see the light itself in all its purity and brightness. It is to see and experience this light that you are now being cleansed. Dearly beloved, John himself says, we are the sons of God, and it has not yet been disclosed what we shall be; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
I feel that your spirits are being raised up with mine to the heavens above; but the body which is corruptible weighs down the soul, and this earthly tent burdens the thoughtful mind. I am about to lay aside this book, and you are soon going away, each to his own business. It has been good for us to share the common light, good to have enjoyed ourselves, good to have been glad together. When we part from one another, let us not depart from him.
Just what I need to hear today!!
By God’s wonderful providence, my reading from the Liturgy of the Hours this morning includes the passage from 2 Peter 1:12-21 and it goes like this:
“Therefore I intend to keep on reminding you of these things, though you know them already and are established in the truth that has come to you. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to refresh your memory, since I know that my death will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.
So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
Verses 13-15 are more accurately translated this way: ”I am sure it is my duty, as long as I am in this tent, to keep stirring you up with reminders, since I know the time for taking off this tent is coming soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ foretold to me. And I shall take great care that after my own departure you will still have a means to recall these things to memory.”
I then read this cmmentary from St. Augustine which is about this passage. It’s worth quoting it here since I will have a hard time finding it later. It has the title:
A treatise of St Augustine on St John's gospel - You will come to the spring and see light itself
We Christians are the light, at least by comparison with unbelievers. Thus the Apostle says: Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk then as sons of the light. And elsewhere he says: The night is far spent, the day is drawing near. Let us therefore lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; let us walk uprightly as in the day.
Nevertheless, since the days in which we are now living are still dark compared to the light which we shall see, hear what the apostle Peter says. He speaks of a voice that came from the Supreme Glory and said to the Lord Jesus Christ: You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. This voice, he says, we heard coming from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain. Because we ourselves were not present there and did not hear that voice from heaven, Peter says to us: And we possess a more certain prophetic word to which you do well to attend, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
When, therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ comes and, as the apostle Paul says, brings to light things hidden in darkness and makes plain the secrets of the heart, so that everyone may receive his commendation from God, then lamps will no longer be needed. When that day is at hand, the prophet will not be read to us, the book of the Apostle will not be opened, we shall not require the testimony of John, we shall have no need of the Gospel itself. Therefore all Scriptures will be taken away from us, those Scriptures which in the night of this world burned like lamps so that we might not remain in darkness.
When all these things are removed as no longer necessary for our illumination, and when the men of God by whom they were ministered to us shall themselves together with us behold the true and dear light without such aids, what shall we see? With what shall our minds be nourished? What will give joy to our gaze? Where will that gladness come from, which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, which has not even been conceived by the heart of man? What shall we see?
I implore you to love with me and, by believing, to run with me; let us long for our heavenly country, let us sigh for our heavenly home, let us truly feel that here we are strangers. What shall we then see? Let the gospel tell us: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. You will come to the fountain, with whose dew you have already been sprinkled. Instead of the ray of light which was sent through slanting and winding ways into the heart of your darkness, you will see the light itself in all its purity and brightness. It is to see and experience this light that you are now being cleansed. Dearly beloved, John himself says, we are the sons of God, and it has not yet been disclosed what we shall be; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
I feel that your spirits are being raised up with mine to the heavens above; but the body which is corruptible weighs down the soul, and this earthly tent burdens the thoughtful mind. I am about to lay aside this book, and you are soon going away, each to his own business. It has been good for us to share the common light, good to have enjoyed ourselves, good to have been glad together. When we part from one another, let us not depart from him.
Just what I need to hear today!!
Friday, 16 November 2018
The Coming of the Kingdom of God; the Days of Noah and the Days of Lot
This blog is shorter (as in spending little time on) still. This brain concussion has limited my screen time. So I resolved to reading commentaries! What a new concept. But in order to translate what I read to the blog screen I had to dictate into my iPhone which did the voice to text translation - with plenty of mistakes of course!
Today's scripture passage is a familiar one which I never managed to quite understand. It's taken from Luke 17:20-37: The Coming of the Kingdom of God
"Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
“It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
“It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”
“Where, Lord?” they asked. He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”"
My wife and I used to read a lot of books from NT Wright - a very well respected New Testament Scholar. In fact we heard him speak at the Mere Anglicanism conference a few years back. We had purchased a set of commentaries by him, and I confess, which has been sitting on our bookshelf untouched! So I decided to read what he has to say about this passage. What I quoted below (dictated and converted with my iPhone!) gave me lots of new insight:
"What does the word apocalypse conjure up to you? Hollywood fantasies? Stars falling from the sky, volcanoes and earthquakes? People in terror, panicking and rushing this way and that?
The Bible has plenty of apocalypses, and sometimes they sound like that. This passage is one of them: Noah’s flood sweeping everybody away, and fire and sulphur raining on Sodom as Lot and his family escaped. That’s exactly the sort of thing many people think of when they hear the word apocalypse.
But did Jesus think it would be like that? What does this passage mean?
There has been a growth industry in writing books based on passages like this. One will be taken, and the other left; some have assumed that being taken in this sense means being snatched up to heaven to be with God, leaving the others behind to survive in a frightening world from which all the true believers have been removed. That’s not what the passage means, though; it’s actually the other way round. The people who are taken are the ones in danger; they are being taken away by hostile forces, taken away to their doom.
But what are these hostile forces? What are the eagles that will gather around the body, and what will they do? And what has all these got to do with the days of the son of man witch the disciples will long for but won’t see?
The rest of Luke’s gospel makes it clear how he thought we should understand it. The passage does not refer to an event in which natural or supernatural forces will devastate our town, a region, or the known world; rather, like so many of Jesus warnings in Luke, it refers to the time when enemy armies will invade and wreak sudden destruction. The word that means vultures is the same word as eagles (ancient writers thought vultures were a kind of eagle), and there may be a cryptic reference here to the Roman legions, with the eagle as their imperial badge.
This makes sense of the warnings. When the legions arrive, the best thing to do is to get out and run; don’t even think about collecting belongings. Normal life will be going on one moment, the next there will be a panic, and the wisest advice is not to think about the necessities of life itself until you’re well out-of-the-way. People who are found either asleep or working indoors at the mill, and thus taken unawares, will find that the invaders will snatch one here and one there. And there won’t be any doubt that it’s happening. It won’t be a spiritual event that would need special discernment. It will be like lightning, suddenly lighting up a dark sky.
What has this got to do then with 'the son of man'? The days of the Son of Man seems to refer to the days when as in the prophecy of Daniel (chapter 7) the one like a son of man will be vindicated by God after suffering. The sign of this will be the destruction of the oppressor, the power that has opposed God’s people and God‘s purpose. In Daniel, this power is the fourth beast, the greatest of the pagan armies. For Jesus, in one of the most dramatic twists of thinking, the force that has most directly opposed his teaching and his kingdom ministry is official Israel itself, focus on the temple and it’s hierarchy, and the Pharisees whose thinking and practice derived from the temple.
We have seen again and again in Luke that Jesus warns of awful destruction coming upon his contemporaries for their failure to heed his message. Now he uses the apocalyptic language of some Jewish prophecy to ram the same warnings home. The days of 'the son of man' are the days in which this figure representing God’s true people, is finally vindicated after his suffering. And that vindication will take the form of the destruction of the city, and the temple, that have set their face against his gospel of peace.
Why then does Jesus say, at the start of his message, that God‘s kingdom isn’t the sort of thing for which there are advance signs?
The question from the Pharisees implied that Jesus has a timetable in mind, in which certain things would happen in a particular order so that one could tick them off and get ready for the final drama. Part of Jesus answer as we have seen is that it won’t be like that. Life will go on as normal until the last moment; but there is something else to be said as well. God‘s kingdom he says, is within your grasp.
The phrase he uses is in verse 21 is sometimes translated within you, and people have often thought it meant that the kingdom is purely spiritual, a private, interior relationship with God. But Jesus never uses God‘s kingdom in that sense. It always refers to something that happened in the public world, not to private experience. Others have suggested that the phrase means in your midst; God’s kingdom, in other words, is present but secret, hidden, waiting for them to discover it. That is closer, but still not quite there. The phrase is more active. It doesn’t just tell you where the kingdom is; it tells you that you’ve got to do something about it. It is within your grasp; it is confronting you with a decision, the decision to believe, trust and follow Jesus. It isn’t the sort of things that’s just going to happen, so that you can sit back and watch. God’s sovereign plan to put the world to rights is waiting for you to sign on. That is the force of what Jesus is saying.
The warnings of Jesus came through in A.D. 70. But the promise of the kingdom remains. It may well be that, at the still-future time when God finally overcomes sin and death for good and remakes the heavens and the earth, there will once more be a moment when, in the midst of normal life, ruin breaks in on those who have not heeded God’s call. But that isn’t what this passage is about. The passage holds out an invitation, to this day, to those who are anxious about the future: God’s sovereign rule of the world, his healing love, are not only yours for the grasping, but are waiting for your help."
Today's scripture passage is a familiar one which I never managed to quite understand. It's taken from Luke 17:20-37: The Coming of the Kingdom of God
"Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
“It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
“It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”
“Where, Lord?” they asked. He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”"
My wife and I used to read a lot of books from NT Wright - a very well respected New Testament Scholar. In fact we heard him speak at the Mere Anglicanism conference a few years back. We had purchased a set of commentaries by him, and I confess, which has been sitting on our bookshelf untouched! So I decided to read what he has to say about this passage. What I quoted below (dictated and converted with my iPhone!) gave me lots of new insight:
"What does the word apocalypse conjure up to you? Hollywood fantasies? Stars falling from the sky, volcanoes and earthquakes? People in terror, panicking and rushing this way and that?
The Bible has plenty of apocalypses, and sometimes they sound like that. This passage is one of them: Noah’s flood sweeping everybody away, and fire and sulphur raining on Sodom as Lot and his family escaped. That’s exactly the sort of thing many people think of when they hear the word apocalypse.
But did Jesus think it would be like that? What does this passage mean?
There has been a growth industry in writing books based on passages like this. One will be taken, and the other left; some have assumed that being taken in this sense means being snatched up to heaven to be with God, leaving the others behind to survive in a frightening world from which all the true believers have been removed. That’s not what the passage means, though; it’s actually the other way round. The people who are taken are the ones in danger; they are being taken away by hostile forces, taken away to their doom.
But what are these hostile forces? What are the eagles that will gather around the body, and what will they do? And what has all these got to do with the days of the son of man witch the disciples will long for but won’t see?
The rest of Luke’s gospel makes it clear how he thought we should understand it. The passage does not refer to an event in which natural or supernatural forces will devastate our town, a region, or the known world; rather, like so many of Jesus warnings in Luke, it refers to the time when enemy armies will invade and wreak sudden destruction. The word that means vultures is the same word as eagles (ancient writers thought vultures were a kind of eagle), and there may be a cryptic reference here to the Roman legions, with the eagle as their imperial badge.
This makes sense of the warnings. When the legions arrive, the best thing to do is to get out and run; don’t even think about collecting belongings. Normal life will be going on one moment, the next there will be a panic, and the wisest advice is not to think about the necessities of life itself until you’re well out-of-the-way. People who are found either asleep or working indoors at the mill, and thus taken unawares, will find that the invaders will snatch one here and one there. And there won’t be any doubt that it’s happening. It won’t be a spiritual event that would need special discernment. It will be like lightning, suddenly lighting up a dark sky.
What has this got to do then with 'the son of man'? The days of the Son of Man seems to refer to the days when as in the prophecy of Daniel (chapter 7) the one like a son of man will be vindicated by God after suffering. The sign of this will be the destruction of the oppressor, the power that has opposed God’s people and God‘s purpose. In Daniel, this power is the fourth beast, the greatest of the pagan armies. For Jesus, in one of the most dramatic twists of thinking, the force that has most directly opposed his teaching and his kingdom ministry is official Israel itself, focus on the temple and it’s hierarchy, and the Pharisees whose thinking and practice derived from the temple.
We have seen again and again in Luke that Jesus warns of awful destruction coming upon his contemporaries for their failure to heed his message. Now he uses the apocalyptic language of some Jewish prophecy to ram the same warnings home. The days of 'the son of man' are the days in which this figure representing God’s true people, is finally vindicated after his suffering. And that vindication will take the form of the destruction of the city, and the temple, that have set their face against his gospel of peace.
Why then does Jesus say, at the start of his message, that God‘s kingdom isn’t the sort of thing for which there are advance signs?
The question from the Pharisees implied that Jesus has a timetable in mind, in which certain things would happen in a particular order so that one could tick them off and get ready for the final drama. Part of Jesus answer as we have seen is that it won’t be like that. Life will go on as normal until the last moment; but there is something else to be said as well. God‘s kingdom he says, is within your grasp.
The phrase he uses is in verse 21 is sometimes translated within you, and people have often thought it meant that the kingdom is purely spiritual, a private, interior relationship with God. But Jesus never uses God‘s kingdom in that sense. It always refers to something that happened in the public world, not to private experience. Others have suggested that the phrase means in your midst; God’s kingdom, in other words, is present but secret, hidden, waiting for them to discover it. That is closer, but still not quite there. The phrase is more active. It doesn’t just tell you where the kingdom is; it tells you that you’ve got to do something about it. It is within your grasp; it is confronting you with a decision, the decision to believe, trust and follow Jesus. It isn’t the sort of things that’s just going to happen, so that you can sit back and watch. God’s sovereign plan to put the world to rights is waiting for you to sign on. That is the force of what Jesus is saying.
The warnings of Jesus came through in A.D. 70. But the promise of the kingdom remains. It may well be that, at the still-future time when God finally overcomes sin and death for good and remakes the heavens and the earth, there will once more be a moment when, in the midst of normal life, ruin breaks in on those who have not heeded God’s call. But that isn’t what this passage is about. The passage holds out an invitation, to this day, to those who are anxious about the future: God’s sovereign rule of the world, his healing love, are not only yours for the grasping, but are waiting for your help."
Monday, 12 November 2018
The Perfect Sacrifice
This will be a short blog. I haven't been feeling great for the last few days. I suspect my concussion from a bike accident a few months ago has finally caught up with me. Too much screen time seems to bring on nausea and vomiting. This is the second episode within the last 2-3 weeks. I am learning to offer this up for the salvation of my children.
Today's passage is from Hebrews 9:24-28:
"For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgement, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."
This passage is first of all contrasting the sacrifice offered by the Levitical priest and the supreme sacrifice offered by Christ. Here is a list of the contrasts:
It highlights the more perfect sacrifice that Jesus has made on my behalf. Each time I received the Holy Eucharist, containing the real Presence of Christ, I followed what most people do, walked a couple of steps aside, looked up to the cross, and gave thanks!!
Today's passage is from Hebrews 9:24-28:
"For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgement, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."
This passage is first of all contrasting the sacrifice offered by the Levitical priest and the supreme sacrifice offered by Christ. Here is a list of the contrasts:
| Levitical Priest | Jesus |
| entered a sanctuary made by human hands (a mere copy) | entered into heaven itself (the true one) |
| to offer himself again and again (as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year) | appeared once for all at the end of the age |
| with blood that is not his own (for then he would have had to suffer again and again) | to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself |
| died once and faced judgement |
offered Himself once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time... to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him |
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