Memorial of Saint John of the Cross,
Priest and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 184
Lectionary: 184
I am the LORD, your God,
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, "Fear not,
I will help you."
Fear not, O worm Jacob,
O maggot Israel;
I will help you, says the LORD;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, and double-edged,
To thresh the mountains and crush them,
to make the hills like chaff.
When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off
and the storm shall scatter them.
But you shall rejoice in the LORD,
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the LORD, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the desert into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.
I will plant in the desert the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
I will set in the wasteland the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, "Fear not,
I will help you."
Fear not, O worm Jacob,
O maggot Israel;
I will help you, says the LORD;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, and double-edged,
To thresh the mountains and crush them,
to make the hills like chaff.
When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off
and the storm shall scatter them.
But you shall rejoice in the LORD,
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the LORD, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the desert into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.
I will plant in the desert the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
I will set in the wasteland the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 145:1 AND 9, 10-11, 12-13AB
R. (8) The
Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let them make known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let them make known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
AlleluiaSEE IS 45:8
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Let the clouds rain down the Just One,
and the earth bring forth a Savior.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the clouds rain down the Just One,
and the earth bring forth a Savior.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 11:11-15
Jesus said to the crowds:
"Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence,
and the violent are taking it by force.
All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John.
And if you are willing to accept it,
he is Elijah, the one who is to come.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."
"Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence,
and the violent are taking it by force.
All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John.
And if you are willing to accept it,
he is Elijah, the one who is to come.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."
Meditation: "He is Elijah who is
to come"
Who is the greatest in the kingdom of God? Jesus
praised John the Baptist as the greatest person born. Who can top that as a
compliment? But in the same breath Jesus says that the least in the kingdom of
God is even greater than John! That sounds like a contradiction, right? Unless
you understand that what Jesus was about to accomplish for our sake would
supersede all that the prophets had done and foreseen.
"Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel"
The prophet Isaiah proclaimed to the forsaken and dispersed people of Israel some 700 years before the birth of Christ that "your Redeemer - the Holy One of Israel" would come to restore his people and to make all things new (Isaiah 41:14ff). When the Messiah and Redeemer of Israel did appear John the Baptist announced his arrival. He fulfilled the essential task of all the prophets - to be fingers pointing to Jesus Christ, God's Anointed Son and Messiah. John proclaimed Jesus' mission at the Jordan River when he exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). John saw from a distance what Jesus would accomplish through his death on the cross - our redemption from bondage to sin and death and our adoption as sons and daughters of God and citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
The prophet Isaiah proclaimed to the forsaken and dispersed people of Israel some 700 years before the birth of Christ that "your Redeemer - the Holy One of Israel" would come to restore his people and to make all things new (Isaiah 41:14ff). When the Messiah and Redeemer of Israel did appear John the Baptist announced his arrival. He fulfilled the essential task of all the prophets - to be fingers pointing to Jesus Christ, God's Anointed Son and Messiah. John proclaimed Jesus' mission at the Jordan River when he exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). John saw from a distance what Jesus would accomplish through his death on the cross - our redemption from bondage to sin and death and our adoption as sons and daughters of God and citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
The spirit of Elijah is sent in advance through John's
words
John the Baptist bridges the Old and New Testaments. He is the last of the Old Testament prophets who point the way to the Messiah. He is the first of the New Testament witnesses and martyrs. He is the herald who prepares the way for Jesus the Messiah. Jesus confirms that John has fulfilled the promise that Elijah would return to herald the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5). Jesus declares that John is nothing less that the great herald whose privilege it was to announce the coming of the Redeemer - the Holy One of Israel.
John the Baptist bridges the Old and New Testaments. He is the last of the Old Testament prophets who point the way to the Messiah. He is the first of the New Testament witnesses and martyrs. He is the herald who prepares the way for Jesus the Messiah. Jesus confirms that John has fulfilled the promise that Elijah would return to herald the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5). Jesus declares that John is nothing less that the great herald whose privilege it was to announce the coming of the Redeemer - the Holy One of Israel.
Jesus equates the coming of the kingdom of heaven with
violence (Matthew 11:12). John himself suffered violence for announcing that
the kingdom of God was near. He was thrown into prison and then beheaded. Since
John's martyrdom to the present times the kingdom of heaven has suffered
violence and persecution at the hands of violent men. The blood of the martyrs
throughout the ages bear witness to this fact. The martyrs witness to the truth
- the truth and love of Jesus Christ who shed his blood to redeem us from
slavery to sin and Satan and the fear of death. The Lord Jesus gives us the
power of his Holy Spirit to overcome fear with faith, despair with hope, and
every form of hatred, violence, jealousy, and prejudice with love and charity towards
all - even those who seek to destroy and kill.
We proclaim the joy of the Gospel of Christ even in
the midst of suffering and violence
God may call some of us to be martyrs for our faith in Jesus Christ. But for most of us our call is to be dry martyrs who bear testimony to the joy of the Gospel in the midst of daily challenges, contradictions, temptations and adversities which come our way as we follow the Lord Jesus. What attracts others to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? When they see Christians loving their enemies, being joyful in suffering, patient in adversity, pardoning injuries, and showing comfort and compassion to the hopeless and the helpless. Jesus tells us that we do not need to fear our adversaries. He will fill us with the power of his Holy Spirit and give us sufficient grace, strength, and wisdom to face any trial and to answer any challenge to our faith. Are you eager to witness to the joy and freedom of the Gospel?
God may call some of us to be martyrs for our faith in Jesus Christ. But for most of us our call is to be dry martyrs who bear testimony to the joy of the Gospel in the midst of daily challenges, contradictions, temptations and adversities which come our way as we follow the Lord Jesus. What attracts others to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? When they see Christians loving their enemies, being joyful in suffering, patient in adversity, pardoning injuries, and showing comfort and compassion to the hopeless and the helpless. Jesus tells us that we do not need to fear our adversaries. He will fill us with the power of his Holy Spirit and give us sufficient grace, strength, and wisdom to face any trial and to answer any challenge to our faith. Are you eager to witness to the joy and freedom of the Gospel?
"Lord Jesus, by your cross you have redeemed the
world. Fill me with joy and confidence and make me a bold witness of your
saving truth that others may know the joy and freedom of the Gospel of your
kingdom of peace and righteousness."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The Kingdom of Heaven, by Hilary of
Poitiers (315-367 AD)
"What violence (Matthew 11:12)? People did not
believe in John the Baptist. The works of Christ were held to be of no
importance. His torment on the cross was a stumbling block. 'Until now'
prophecy has been dormant. But now the law is fulfilled. Every prediction is
finished. The spirit of Elijah is sent in advance through John's words. Christ
is proclaimed to some and acknowledged by others. He is born for some and loved
by others. The violent irony is that his own people rejected him, while
strangers accepted him. His own people speak ill of him, while his enemies
embrace him. The act of adoption offers an inheritance, while the family
rejects it. Sons refuse to accept their father's last will, while the slaves of
the household receive it. This is what is meant by the phrase 'the kingdom of
heaven suffers violence' (Matthew 11:12). Earlier expectations are being torn
apart. The glory that was pledged to Israel by the patriarchs, which was
announced by the prophets and which was offered by Christ, is now being seized
and carried off by the Gentiles, through their faith." (excerpt from the commentary ON MATTHEW 11.7)
THURSDAY,
DECEMBER 14, MATTHEW 11:11-15
(Isaiah 41:13-20; Psalm 145)
(Isaiah 41:13-20; Psalm 145)
KEY VERSE: "Among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist" (v 11).
TO KNOW: Jesus praised his cousin John the Baptist, the herald of God's reign. John, who had been imprisoned by Herod Antipas, had come in the tradition of Elijah the great prophet who suffered because of his righteous commitment to God's covenant. Jesus' acknowledged John's privileged place in God's saving plan, but noted that John belonged to the old order, which was passing away. While John stood at the threshold of God's kingdom, the humblest member of the new era would be greater than John. Like Jesus, John would lose his life for proclaiming the truth. Throughout the ages, the reign of God was assaulted by those who rejected the prophetic voice. Even greater violence would be done by those who opposed Jesus and tried to prevent his followers from entering the reign of God.
TO LOVE: Am I willing to proclaim the gospel no matter what the cost?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, I pray for all who suffer for the sake of the gospel.
Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, priest
and doctor of the Church
John of the Cross was born at Fontiveros, Old Castile, Spain. He was a Carmelite friar and was ordained a priest at age 25. John was a reformer in the Carmelite Order of his time and the movement he helped initiate, along with Saint Teresa of Avila, eventually led to the establishment of the rigid Discalced (barefoort) reform of the Carmelites. His reforms did not set well with some of his brothers, and he was imprisoned, only escaping after nine months. Eventually, John's reforms revitalized the Order. John of the Cross was a great contemplative and spiritual writer. Both his poetry and his studies on the growth of the soul are considered the summit of mystical Spanish literature. He was canonized as a saint in 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII. He was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI on 24 August 1926. He is also known as Doctor of Mystical Theology.
Thursday 14
December 2017
Advent Season of Creation. St John of The Cross.
Isaiah 41:13-20. Psalm 144(145):1, 9-13. Matthew 11:11-15.
The Lord is kind and merciful; slow to anger, and rich in
compassion — Psalm 144(145):1, 9-13.
Do not be afraid; I will help you.
I have a colleague who greets me every morning. He gets to work
early because he is part of the maintenance team and often enough he is
changing light bulbs and fixing doors before the rest of us arrive. In winter,
he sometimes turns the heater on in my office so that it is warm for me. He is
one of the people on the staff who does not find himself in the limelight very
often, and he doesn’t want to be. Sometimes he reminds me of John the Baptist,
who Jesus celebrates in today’s Gospel, preparing the way for others, even if
that means repairing broken tables and chairs.
Every day, this gentleman asks me what’s on for the day.
‘Oh, plenty of things today,’ I answer.
‘Well, I’ve only got one thing on today.’
‘And what’s that?’ I always ask.
‘Life,’ he says, with a smile and then vanishes with his toolbox in hand.
‘Oh, plenty of things today,’ I answer.
‘Well, I’ve only got one thing on today.’
‘And what’s that?’ I always ask.
‘Life,’ he says, with a smile and then vanishes with his toolbox in hand.
I love this little ritual, all the more because this man was
first diagnosed with cancer almost 30 years ago. He has had countless
operations and more close calls than anybody else I know. A large part of his
nose has been removed. He loves life. When you see him fixing a hinge, his
concentration is beautiful. The present moment is all the home he seems to
want.
Pope Francis has spoken a great deal about the Prophet Isaiah,
including the passages we are reading during this period of Advent. He has
described Isaiah as ‘the great prophet of Advent, the great messenger of hope.’
The Pope says we need hope more than ever: ‘ We have such need, in these times
which appear dark, in which we sometimes feel disoriented at the evil and
violence which surrounds us, at the distress of so many of our brothers and
sisters. We need hope!’
Isaiah describes us in unflattering words such as ‘poor worm’
and ‘puny mite.’ The measure of our pettiness is that ‘the poor and needy ask
for water and there is none.’ But the Lord promises to answer them: ‘I will
make rivers well up on barren heights, and fountains in the midst of valleys.’ The
Lord calls us into a relationship of trust: ‘do not be afraid, I will help
you.’
Like my colleague, the Lord loves and celebrates Life, even with
its darkness and pain. Like a plant in a dark room that grows towards the
smallest ray of light, Advent is the time for finding our direction again.
ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS
Dec. 14 is the liturgical memorial of Saint John
of the Cross, a 16th century Carmelite priest best known for reforming his
order together with Saint Teresa of Avila, and for writing the classic
spiritual treatise “The Dark Night of the Soul.”
Honored as a Doctor of the Church since 1926, he is sometimes called the “Mystical Doctor,” as a tribute to the depth of his teaching on the soul's union with God.
The youngest child of parents in the silk-weaving trade, John de Yepes was born during 1542 in Fontiveros near the Spanish city of Avila. His father Gonzalo died at a relatively young age, and his mother Catalina struggled to provide for the family. John found academic success from his early years, but failed in his effort to learn a trade as an apprentice. Instead he spent several years working in a hospital for the poor, and continuing his studies at a Jesuit college in the town of Medina del Campo.
After discerning a calling to monastic life, John entered the Carmlite Order in 1563. He had been practicing severe physical asceticism even before joining the Carmelites, and got permission to live according to their original rule of life – which stressed solitude, silence, poverty, work, and contemplative prayer. John received ordination as a priest in 1567 after studying in Salamanca, but considered transferring to the more austere Carthusian order rather than remaining with the Carmelites.
Before he could take such a step, however, he met the Carmelite nun later canonized as Saint Teresa of Avila. Born in 1515, Teresa had joined the order in 1535, regarding consecrated religious life as the most secure road to salvation. Since that time she had made remarkable spiritual progress, and during the 1560s she began a movement to return the Carmelites to the strict observance of their original way of life. She convinced John not to leave the order, but to work for its reform.
Changing his religious name from “John of St. Matthias” to “John of the Cross,” the priest began this work in November of 1568, accompanied by two other men of the order with whom he shared a small and austere house. For a time, John was in charge of the new recruits to the “Discalced Carmelites” – the name adopted by the reformed group, since they wore sandals rather than ordinary shoes as sign of poverty. He also spent five years as the confessor at a monastery in Avila led by St. Teresa.
Their reforming movement grew quickly, but also met with severe opposition that jeopardized its future during the 1570s. Early in December of 1577, during a dispute over John's assignment within the order, opponents of the strict observance seized and imprisoned him in a tiny cell. His ordeal lasted nine months and included regular public floggings along with other harsh punishments. Yet it was during this very period that he composed the poetry that would serve as the basis for his spiritual writings.
John managed to escape from prison in August of 1578, after which he resumed the work of founding and directing Discalced Carmelite communities. Over the course of a decade he set out his spiritual teachings in works such as “The Ascent of Mount Carmel,” “The Spiritual Canticle” and “The Living Flame of Love” as well as “The Dark Night of the Soul.” But intrigue within the order eventually cost him his leadership position, and his last years were marked by illness along with further mistreatment.
St. John of the Cross died in the early hours of Dec. 14, 1591, nine years after St. Teresa of Avila's death in October 1582. Suspicion, mistreatment, and humiliation had characterized much of his time in religious life, but these trials are understood as having brought him closer to God by breaking his dependence on the things of this world. Accordingly, his writings stress the need to love God above all things – being held back by nothing, and likewise holding nothing back.
Only near the end of his life had St. John's monastic superior recognized his wisdom and holiness. Though his reputation had suffered unjustly for years, this situation reversed soon after his death. He was beatified in 1675, canonized in 1726, and named a Doctor of the Church in the 20th century by Pope Pius XI. In a letter marking the 400th anniversary of St. John's death, Pope John Paul II – who had written a doctoral thesis on the saint's writings – recommended the study of the Spanish mystic, whom he called a “master in the faith and witness to the living God.”
Honored as a Doctor of the Church since 1926, he is sometimes called the “Mystical Doctor,” as a tribute to the depth of his teaching on the soul's union with God.
The youngest child of parents in the silk-weaving trade, John de Yepes was born during 1542 in Fontiveros near the Spanish city of Avila. His father Gonzalo died at a relatively young age, and his mother Catalina struggled to provide for the family. John found academic success from his early years, but failed in his effort to learn a trade as an apprentice. Instead he spent several years working in a hospital for the poor, and continuing his studies at a Jesuit college in the town of Medina del Campo.
After discerning a calling to monastic life, John entered the Carmlite Order in 1563. He had been practicing severe physical asceticism even before joining the Carmelites, and got permission to live according to their original rule of life – which stressed solitude, silence, poverty, work, and contemplative prayer. John received ordination as a priest in 1567 after studying in Salamanca, but considered transferring to the more austere Carthusian order rather than remaining with the Carmelites.
Before he could take such a step, however, he met the Carmelite nun later canonized as Saint Teresa of Avila. Born in 1515, Teresa had joined the order in 1535, regarding consecrated religious life as the most secure road to salvation. Since that time she had made remarkable spiritual progress, and during the 1560s she began a movement to return the Carmelites to the strict observance of their original way of life. She convinced John not to leave the order, but to work for its reform.
Changing his religious name from “John of St. Matthias” to “John of the Cross,” the priest began this work in November of 1568, accompanied by two other men of the order with whom he shared a small and austere house. For a time, John was in charge of the new recruits to the “Discalced Carmelites” – the name adopted by the reformed group, since they wore sandals rather than ordinary shoes as sign of poverty. He also spent five years as the confessor at a monastery in Avila led by St. Teresa.
Their reforming movement grew quickly, but also met with severe opposition that jeopardized its future during the 1570s. Early in December of 1577, during a dispute over John's assignment within the order, opponents of the strict observance seized and imprisoned him in a tiny cell. His ordeal lasted nine months and included regular public floggings along with other harsh punishments. Yet it was during this very period that he composed the poetry that would serve as the basis for his spiritual writings.
John managed to escape from prison in August of 1578, after which he resumed the work of founding and directing Discalced Carmelite communities. Over the course of a decade he set out his spiritual teachings in works such as “The Ascent of Mount Carmel,” “The Spiritual Canticle” and “The Living Flame of Love” as well as “The Dark Night of the Soul.” But intrigue within the order eventually cost him his leadership position, and his last years were marked by illness along with further mistreatment.
St. John of the Cross died in the early hours of Dec. 14, 1591, nine years after St. Teresa of Avila's death in October 1582. Suspicion, mistreatment, and humiliation had characterized much of his time in religious life, but these trials are understood as having brought him closer to God by breaking his dependence on the things of this world. Accordingly, his writings stress the need to love God above all things – being held back by nothing, and likewise holding nothing back.
Only near the end of his life had St. John's monastic superior recognized his wisdom and holiness. Though his reputation had suffered unjustly for years, this situation reversed soon after his death. He was beatified in 1675, canonized in 1726, and named a Doctor of the Church in the 20th century by Pope Pius XI. In a letter marking the 400th anniversary of St. John's death, Pope John Paul II – who had written a doctoral thesis on the saint's writings – recommended the study of the Spanish mystic, whom he called a “master in the faith and witness to the living God.”
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW
11,11-15
Lectio Divina:
Thursday, December 14, 2017
2nd Week of Advent
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
you do not abandon those who rely on you.
Take us by the hand when we are afraid,
help us when we call out to you,
for we experience that we are powerless
to establish your kingdom of justice and love.
Send your Son again among us today
to be our Lord and Saviour
now and for ever.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 11, 11-15
'In truth I tell you, of all the children born to women, there has never been anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. Since John the Baptist came, up to this present time, the kingdom of Heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by storm.
Because it was towards John that all the prophecies of the prophets and of the Law were leading; and he, if you will believe me, is the Elijah who was to return. Anyone who has ears should listen!
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel, Jesus, gives an opinion on John the Baptist. Compared with the persons of the Old Testament, there is no one greater than John. John is the greatest of all: greater than Jeremiah, greater than Abraham, greater than Isaiah! But, compared with the New Testament, John is inferior to all. The smallest in the Kingdom is greater than John! How can we understand this qualification, apparently contradictory, that Jesus makes of John?
• A short time before, John had sent to ask Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else?” (Mt 11, 3). John seemed to have some doubt concerning Jesus. Jesus, in fact, did not correspond to the idea that he, John, had of the Messiah, a severe Judge who had to come to carry out the judgment of condemnation and of anger (Mt 3, 7). He was to cut the trees from their roots (Mt 3, 10), was to clear his threshing floor and throw the dry stick into the fire (Mt 3, 12). But Jesus, instead of being a severe judge, is the friend of all, “meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11, 29), he receives the sinners and eats with them (Mt 2, 16).
• Jesus responds to John by quoting the Prophet Isaiah: “Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, those suffering from virulent skin diseases are cleaned, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life and the good news is proclaimed to the poor, and blessed is anyone who does not find me a cause of falling!” (Mt 11, 5-6; cf. Is 33, 5-6; 29, 18). A hard response. Jesus asks John to analyze the Scripture better in order to be able to change the erroneous vision that he had of the Messiah.
• John was great! The greatest of all! And the smallest in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than John. John is the greatest, because he was the last echo of the Old Testament. It was John who, because of his fidelity, was finally able to indicate the Messiah to the people: “Behold, here is the Lamb of God!” (Jn 1, 36), and the long history begun with Abraham attains its objective. But John was not capable to understand by himself the importance of the Kingdom of God in Jesus. He had a doubt: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else?” The ancient history alone, does not communicate sufficient light to the person to understand all the novelty of the Good News of God which Jesus brings to us. The New was not in the Old. Saint Augustine said: “Novum in Vetere latet, Vetus in Novo patet”, which means: “The New is already hidden in the Old. But the Old reveals only its full meaning in the New”. The one who is with Jesus and lives with him receives from him a light which gives new eyes to discover a more profound meaning in the Old. And which is this novelty?
• Jesus offers a key: “The Law and all the Prophets, in fact, have prophesized up to John. And if you would accept it, he is that Elijah who has to come. He who has ears, let him hear!” Jesus does not explain, but says: “He who has ears, let him hear” Elijah had to come to prepare the coming of the Messiah and to reconstruct the community: “To reconcile parents to their children and children to their parents” (Mal 3, 24). John announced the Messiah and sought to reconstruct the community (Lk 1, 17). But the most profound mystery escaped him, that of the life of the community. Only Jesus communicated it, announcing that God is Father and, therefore, we are all brothers and sisters. This announcement bears within a new force which makes us capable to overcome divergence and to create community.
• These are the violent who succeed to conquer the Kingdom. The Kingdom is not a doctrine, but a new way of living like brothers and sisters, beginning from the announcement which Jesus makes: God is Father of all.
4) Personal questions
• The Kingdom is of those who use violence on themselves, that is, it belongs to those who like Jesus have the courage to create community. You also?
• Jesus helped John to understand better the facts by means of the Bible. Does the Bible help me to understand better the events of my life?
5) Concluding Prayer
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
The Lord is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works. (Ps 145)
Lord our God,
you do not abandon those who rely on you.
Take us by the hand when we are afraid,
help us when we call out to you,
for we experience that we are powerless
to establish your kingdom of justice and love.
Send your Son again among us today
to be our Lord and Saviour
now and for ever.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 11, 11-15
'In truth I tell you, of all the children born to women, there has never been anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. Since John the Baptist came, up to this present time, the kingdom of Heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by storm.
Because it was towards John that all the prophecies of the prophets and of the Law were leading; and he, if you will believe me, is the Elijah who was to return. Anyone who has ears should listen!
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel, Jesus, gives an opinion on John the Baptist. Compared with the persons of the Old Testament, there is no one greater than John. John is the greatest of all: greater than Jeremiah, greater than Abraham, greater than Isaiah! But, compared with the New Testament, John is inferior to all. The smallest in the Kingdom is greater than John! How can we understand this qualification, apparently contradictory, that Jesus makes of John?
• A short time before, John had sent to ask Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else?” (Mt 11, 3). John seemed to have some doubt concerning Jesus. Jesus, in fact, did not correspond to the idea that he, John, had of the Messiah, a severe Judge who had to come to carry out the judgment of condemnation and of anger (Mt 3, 7). He was to cut the trees from their roots (Mt 3, 10), was to clear his threshing floor and throw the dry stick into the fire (Mt 3, 12). But Jesus, instead of being a severe judge, is the friend of all, “meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11, 29), he receives the sinners and eats with them (Mt 2, 16).
• Jesus responds to John by quoting the Prophet Isaiah: “Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, those suffering from virulent skin diseases are cleaned, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life and the good news is proclaimed to the poor, and blessed is anyone who does not find me a cause of falling!” (Mt 11, 5-6; cf. Is 33, 5-6; 29, 18). A hard response. Jesus asks John to analyze the Scripture better in order to be able to change the erroneous vision that he had of the Messiah.
• John was great! The greatest of all! And the smallest in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than John. John is the greatest, because he was the last echo of the Old Testament. It was John who, because of his fidelity, was finally able to indicate the Messiah to the people: “Behold, here is the Lamb of God!” (Jn 1, 36), and the long history begun with Abraham attains its objective. But John was not capable to understand by himself the importance of the Kingdom of God in Jesus. He had a doubt: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else?” The ancient history alone, does not communicate sufficient light to the person to understand all the novelty of the Good News of God which Jesus brings to us. The New was not in the Old. Saint Augustine said: “Novum in Vetere latet, Vetus in Novo patet”, which means: “The New is already hidden in the Old. But the Old reveals only its full meaning in the New”. The one who is with Jesus and lives with him receives from him a light which gives new eyes to discover a more profound meaning in the Old. And which is this novelty?
• Jesus offers a key: “The Law and all the Prophets, in fact, have prophesized up to John. And if you would accept it, he is that Elijah who has to come. He who has ears, let him hear!” Jesus does not explain, but says: “He who has ears, let him hear” Elijah had to come to prepare the coming of the Messiah and to reconstruct the community: “To reconcile parents to their children and children to their parents” (Mal 3, 24). John announced the Messiah and sought to reconstruct the community (Lk 1, 17). But the most profound mystery escaped him, that of the life of the community. Only Jesus communicated it, announcing that God is Father and, therefore, we are all brothers and sisters. This announcement bears within a new force which makes us capable to overcome divergence and to create community.
• These are the violent who succeed to conquer the Kingdom. The Kingdom is not a doctrine, but a new way of living like brothers and sisters, beginning from the announcement which Jesus makes: God is Father of all.
4) Personal questions
• The Kingdom is of those who use violence on themselves, that is, it belongs to those who like Jesus have the courage to create community. You also?
• Jesus helped John to understand better the facts by means of the Bible. Does the Bible help me to understand better the events of my life?
5) Concluding Prayer
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
The Lord is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works. (Ps 145)
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