There is a song by the BeatlesโA Day in the Lifeโand one of the stanzas begins, โI read the news today, oh boyโ (Hopefully the tune wonโt be stuck in your head all day). To that, I can just say, I also read the news today andโฆ Oh, boy! It is no wonder that so many folks are on antidepressants! (So much so that there are traces of Prozac in our drinking water and even the fish! Given the state of things, that might not be such a bad thing.) But between the news and life in general, there are a good many walking around all day, wondering how it could possibly all work out. Then, in light of this state of affairs, we have someone come along like Julian of Norwich, the patron saint of this chapel, who says something that seems to be absolutely ridiculousโmost of you can quote it: โAll shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.โ
Those are actually words that Jesus spoke to Julian, and they are also proof textingโpulling out that bit that makes you happy. You see, in Julianโs thirteenth revelation in her Revelations of Divine Love, she reveals that she wondered, โwhy, in his great foreseeing wisdom, God had not prevented the beginning of sin.โ Why doesnโt God stop all this craziness in the world and the harm that people do? It is here that Jesus spoke the โall shall be wellโ message, but the complete message was, โSin is befitting, but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.โ Folks use that message without the โSin is befittingโ bit as some sort of mantra for everything that goes wrong in their lives, even down to a bad hair day, when in truth, it speaks about sinโour sins and the sins of others, both great and small; things that are heard about worldwide and those things that only you know about. But if that is the case, then why would Jesus say sin is befitting?
Julian explains that it was revealed to her that the crucifixion of Jesus was the greatest possible sin, evil, and harm that had ever occurred or would ever occur. However, sin is befitting because, as the Lord told her, โI have turned the greatest possible harm into good, it is my will that you should know from this that I shall turn all lesser evil into good.โ Jesus overcoming the greatest of all sins, which was committed against Him, shows us that he is capable of overcoming all other evil in the world. Hence, all shall be well. The state of the world is, at times, wretched, butโฆ all shall be well.
There is a second reason that sin is befitting, however, if my understanding of what Julian is saying is correct, the Lord tells her that knowing this second reason is above her pay grade.
Regardless, in this thirteenth revelation, the Lord sums up for Julian and for us what the โall shall be wellโ statement ultimately means: โI [the Lord] am keeping you very safe.โ โI am keeping you very safe.โ Therefore, as St. Paul taught us in our lesson, โLet us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.โ
Dame Julian of Norwich, a 14th-century anchoress (one who withdraws from society), provides us with many beautiful glimpses of our Lord.
A prayer from JulianโLet us pray: God, of thy goodness, give me Thyself; for Thou art enough for me, and I can ask for nothing less that can be full honor to Thee. And if I ask anything that is less, ever Shall I be in want, for only in Thee have I all. Amen
Jesus withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, โThis is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.โ Jesus said to them, โThey need not go away; you give them something to eat.โ They replied, โWe have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.โ And he said, โBring them here to me.โ Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled, and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
In 1996, Linda Ellis wrote a poem. If you look at the cover of your program, youโll see what the poem is about. It appears right there between 1935, the year of Paulโs birth, and 2025, the year of his death. It is the dash, which is the name of the poem. Ultimately, the poem asks the question, โWhat does that dash represent and say about your life? How did you live your life?โ
I remembered that poem as I considered the dash on the front of the program, which represents Paulโs life, and I came to the conclusion that Paulโs dash represents much, but that it should have an asterisk after it, directing us to a footnote. In the footnote, we would not find more details of his life; instead, there would be this list, these guiding principles that essentially formed a pillar upon which Paulโs life stood. As his priest, what delighted me was that at the base, the foundation of everything he said or did was God and his faith in Jesus.
โA good Life to me is as follows: ๏ปฟ๏ปฟKeeping God and Jesus in our minds often.โ
Having known Paul for over ten years, I know that these words werenโt just lip service. He didnโt write this list expecting others to one day find it, and so he said to himself, โOh, I’d better put God first so that when everyone reads this, theyโll believe I was a righteous dude.โ No, I donโt believe that for a second. After many long conversations with him about his faith, I know, without hesitation, he believed that Jesus was his Savior and that it was only through God that he was able to accomplish anything. Therefore, I can say to you without hesitation that he has made his eternal home in that Heavenly Kingdom with his Savior, and has been reunited with his beloved Joan and son David, along with his mom and dad.
On that note, if I may speak to Paul directlyโฆ โI told you so!โ
Anyhow, in our reading from Matthew, when the disciples told Jesus to send the people away because there was nothing to eat, Jesus replied, โThey need not go away; you give them something to eat.โ It doesnโt take a close scrutiny of Paulโs life to realize that he lived as though the Lord Jesus had spoken those words directly to him. Like this ballpark, there are countless public reminders of his works, but I would wager that for every known act of kindness, there are literally hundreds that you will never hear about. For Paul, it was never about the recognition. It was always about the servingโliving out the true spirit of the Lordโs words. And I am quite certain he would encourage us to do the same. For as Pope Francis once noted, โLife is of no use if not used to serve others.โ
For each of us, a day will come when a dash separates two dates. What will your dash say about you? And if there is an asterisk directing to a footnote, what will the reader discover as your guiding principles? If you are still trying to sort all that out, I believe Paul would encourage you to put the Lord Jesus first and know that every good gift flows from Him.
One such gift from God is a good friend. Doug Frantz, one of Paulโs friends, will now share with us what that means to him.
I take no credit for this one. Mike Goodwin, a young Black man, is a comedian, speaker, and leadership coach. You can find plenty of his videos online; thatโs where I discovered this story he shares about his grandmother.
Mike says, โMy grandmother says there are only two things in your life that you have to worry about: whether youโre healthy or whether youโre sick. If youโre healthy, you ainโt got nothing to worry about. But if youโre sick, youโve got two things to worry about: whether youโre gonna get better or whether youโre gonna get worse. If you get better, you’ve got nothing to worry about. But if you get worse, you’ve got two things to worry about: whether youโre going to live or whether youโre going to die. If you live, you’ve got nothing to worry about. If you die, youโve got two things to worry about: whether you go to heaven or whether you go to hell. If you go to heaven, you’ve got nothing to worry about. If you go to hell, youโve got two things to worry about: crispy or extra crispy.โ
For many, a life with God has much to do with Heaven and Hell. For them, this is how the conversation of God begins: โDo you want to go to Heaven?โ With that question, the opposite is implied: โDo you want to go to Hell?โ So, if I approach someone and ask, โDo you want to go to Heaven?โ, who do you imagine is going to say, โNo, Iโm good with Hell.โ When the one asking the question, โDo you want to go to Heaven?โ receives confirmation, โYes, I want to go to Heaven,โ the next question will be, โDo you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior?โ If the person responds affirmatively, โYes, I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior,โ you have what is known as โthe Moment of Salvation.โ
This Moment of Salvation has a great deal to the sorrow and repentance of sin, the turning to Jesus, and making amends for wrongs done. Again, not a thing in the world wrong with any of this; howeverโmy dear Protestant leaning friends, please donโt shoot the teacher, just presenting the history hereโthis idea of a Moment of Salvation didnโt really come about until the Great Awakening of the 17th and 18th centuries. Prior to this, salvation was more a journey than a moment, and that journey began when you heard the words of Jesus, โFollow me.โ
โFollow meโ implies not a moment of salvation but a journey of salvation and a lifetime of sanctificationโthe process of discipleship, that is, each day becoming more of a follower of Jesus. In following, we begin to live the life He calls us toโa life where we believe in Him and His word, a life of denying ourselves, a life of taking up our cross, a life of being a servant, a life of proclaiming the Good News, all of which is a life that cannot be sustained by only wanting to avoid Hell and go to Heaven. Therefore, Jesus never asked anyone if they wanted to go to Heaven. Jesus asked, โDo you love me?โ
Peter denied Jesus three times on the night before the crucifixion; therefore, to restore him, Jesus asked Peter three times, โDo you love me?โ However, this question to Peter wasnโt only about restoring him. It was also about the journey and sanctification through discipleship. In asking, โDo you love me?โ Jesus was also asking, โWill you follow me? Do you believe in me? Will you deny yourself? Will you take up your cross? Will you be a servant? Will you lay down your life as I have laid down Mine? Will you do all these things and more because this is what it means to love Me?โ In light of that, โDo you want to go to Heaven?โ is a childโs question, a โno-brainer.โ However, the answer to the question, โDo you love me?โ is not. It isnโt about a moment of salvation or a moment in time. The answer to the question, โDo you love me?โ is a lifetime.
Remember when Jesus said, โNot everyone who says to me, โLord, Lord,โ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, โLord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?โ Then I will declare to them, โI never knew you; go away from me, you who behave lawlessly.โโ (Matthew 7:21-23) How could such a thing happen? Why is that? Because there are many who will say they want to go to Heaven, but not all are willing to give up their lives for Jesus. Not all can say they love Jesus as He calls us to.
Whatโs also interesting about this exchange with Peter is that Jesus did not say, โI love you, Peter, do you love me?โ Why? As we said last week, Jesus proved His love on that hill outside of Jerusalem where He was crucified. If Peter didnโt understand that then, and we donโt understand that now, then we are not paying attention. Jesusโ crucifixion and death on the Cross declared in no uncertain terms, โGod so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.โ Now Jesus, now God asks us, โDo you love me?โ
When asked which was the greatest commandment, Jesus said, โโYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.โ This is the greatest and first commandment.โ (Matthew 22:37-38)
When Jesus asked Peter, โDo you love me?โ he was asking Peter, โDo you agree with this? Will you love Me with all that you are?โ
When Peter said, โYes, Lord, you know that I love you,โ Jesus told Peter, โThen go, feed my sheep, and fulfill the second greatest commandmentโโLove your neighbor as yourself.โโ (Matthew 22:39)
When you die, youโve got two things to worry about: whether you go to heaven or whether you go to hell. If you love God, if you love Jesus in the way He calls us toโฆ youโve got nothing to worry about.
Let us pray: God, our Father, may we love You in all things and above all things. May we reach the joy which You have prepared for us in Heaven. Nothing is good that is against Your Will, and all that is good comes from Your Hand. Place in our hearts a desire to please You and fill our minds with thoughts of Your Love, so that we may grow in Your Wisdom and enjoy Your Peace. Amen.
Two brothers went to an elder monk who lived alone in Scete. The first one said, โFather, I have learned all of the Old and New Testaments by heart.โ The elder replied, โYou have filled the air with words.โ The other brother said, โI have copied out the Old and New Testaments and have them in my hut.โ To this, the elder responded, โYou have filled your window with parchment, but do you not know Him who said, โThe kingdom of God is not in words, but in power?โ and again, โNot those who hear the law will be justified before God, but those who carry it out.โโ
As holy as scripture is and as life-giving as the sacred texts are, they remain limiting, for if we find Jesus only in the words, He is confined to our intellectual ability to understand that which cannot truly be understood. But, as we know, Jesus is not just a figure in a book, nor a distant memory of ancient events; He is a living presence. Therefore, we are not only called to know about Jesus, but more importantly, we are called to know Jesus. We do this not only by listening to the voices of others, but also by hearing the voice of Jesus for ourselves.
My favorite monk, Thomas a Kempis, wrote, โO God, You Who are the truth, make me one with You in love everlasting. I am often wearied by the many things I hear and read, but in You is all that I long for. Let the learned be still, let all creatures be silent before You. You alone speak to me.โ
Unless the Lord speaks to us and writes the words of scripture on our hearts, we are merely engaging in an academic exercise.
Holy Scripture does not say it specifically, but I feel as though St. Mark was someone who met Jesus, talked with Him, and so on. Scripture also indicates that he went on missions with Paul and Barnabas, and that he sat at the feet of the great Apostle Peter, learning much from him. Yet, even with all this, there had to come a day in his life when he set aside the writings and said, โLord, You alone speak to me.โ There must have been a day when he encountered and witnessed the crucified and resurrected Lord for himself, because his Gospel is a testimony to that encounter and a desire for you to have a similar experience.
The first words of his Gospel are, โThe beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.โ From there, he narrates the story of Jesus in very succinct language.
In his Gospel, Mark tells the story of the Good News of Jesus Christ. After the apostles had encountered Jesus for themselves, they went out and proclaimed salvation so that others might experience Jesusโso that you and I might experience Jesus, not just in the words of the text but in our lives.
I encourage you, in your times of prayer and study, to set aside the scriptures and the prayer bookโto set aside all those other voices, including your ownโand say, โLord, You alone speak to me,โ allowing the One who has been handed down to us in the texts to speak to you personally.
I know Iโve shared this story at a funeral, but I donโt believe Iโve ever shared it with you.
A man was once sentenced to solitary confinement in a pitch-black prison cell. To relieve his boredom and keep his sanity, he threw a marble against the wallsโday in, day out, bang, bang, bang. The marble would bounce off the wall onto the floor and then roll around the room until the man could locate it and repeat the procedure.
One day, he decided to do something differentโhe would throw the marble up and try to catch it as it came down. Of course, in the pitch black, he missed the catch quite often, so he would listen as the marble hit the floor and bounced around. Feeling around in the general direction of the sound, he would locate it and try again. The longer this went on, the more proficient he became, and the more proficient he became, the higher he would throw the marble. However, when he made his highest throw ever, he did not catch it, and neither was there any sound. The marble simply did not come back down. He became more and more disturbed. What had happened to his precious marble? How could it disappear into thin air like that?! He spent the rest of his life wondering what had happened to his marble, and it eventually drove him to madness, and he died.
We all have things we wonder about and questions that we seek answers to. Sometimes, we have questions about life: Why does so-and-so not love me? How come all my luck is bad? What did I do to deserve this?
At other times, we question the world around us: Why is the sky blue or the grass green? How was the universe formed? How does Santa get into houses without chimneys? (Just seeing if you were paying attention.)
We also have questions about our faith. Does God hear my prayers? Do I matter to God? Or even, is there a God?
For lifeโs questions, through our faith, we learn to understand and take each day as it comes. For the questions about the world around us, we explore and study. And for the questions about our faith, we pray and study scripture. However, when it comes to these questions of faith, we also tend to try to make a few deals with God. Why do the hard work if thereโs a shortcut?
Iโve never been a Janis Joplin fan in the tiniest little bit, but I remember a song of hers that we would laugh and sing as kids, if only the first verse.
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz? My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends
Thatโs about all we knew as kids, but it is the third verse that gets to the theological heart of the matter.
Oh, Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town? I’m counting on you Lord, please don’t let me down Prove that you love me and buy the next round
And there it is. โProve that you love me.โ Prove to me that You hear my prayers. Prove to me that I matter to You. Prove to me that You are there.
The first stanza of the poem, Doubt, by Norman Shirk
Let me meet you on the mountain, Lord, just once. You wouldn’t have to burn a whole bush, Just a few smoking branches, And I would surely be your Moses
In the end, it all comes down to the same statement: โUnless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.โย
It is easy to criticize poor olโ Thomas, but thereโs a bit of himโmaybe a little or maybe a lotโthereโs a bit of Thomas in us all.
Like Thomas, in order to increase our faith, we ask the Lord to meet us halfway. However, He already has. The Lord Jesus met us halfway between heaven and hell. He met us on that hill outside of Jerusalem. He met us outside the empty tomb, and He continues to meet us every day exactly where we are. He also meets us at that altar in the Sacrament of His body and blood.
But you say, โYes, yes, Father John. Thatโs real nice, but today, I want to be Thomas. I want to see Him, hear Him, and touch Him. I need the burning bush. I need the missing piece of the puzzle. I need to find the stupid marble that fella pitched up into the air and never came back down. Give me these things, and I will.โ
A line from a movie I watched inspired the title of my blogโCandle in a Cave. In the movie, an older priest tells a younger one, โWe are all blind men in a cave looking for a candle that was lit 2,000 years ago.โ
In some sense, this is true because I canโt show you a burning bush or guide your hands and allow you to touch the wounds of Christ. Sorry, I canโt do it. If I could, we would have folks flocking to this church by the millions to see it. Why? Because they want God to prove Himself to them, to give them a sign. Like Job, they ask God to explain Himself.
But remember, the Lord was patient with Job for a while, but after much questioning, the Lord answered, โWho is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?โ โWhere were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? Who created the sky, the animals? Were you there when I breathed life into the dust and created you?โ
Like Job, and even during Jesusโ time on earth, we desire signs and wonders, miracles. Scripture states that at one point during Jesusโ ministry, some Pharisees and teachers of the law questioned him: โTeacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.โ Jesus answered, โA wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.โ
You see, the problem is not with God; it is with us. The Lord has already given us a sign. After three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, He rose! How? Truly, the Lord only knows. As the Psalmist says, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” But Jesus rose from the grave. How much more proof does a person need? Just because there were no witnesses to the resurrection, does it mean it did not occur? No. Remember what Billy Graham said, โCan you see God? You haven’t seen him? I’ve never seen the wind. I see the effects of the wind, but I’ve never seen the wind. There’s a mystery to it.โ
No one witnessed the resurrection of Jesus, but from that day forward, we have all been witnesses to, and have experienced for ourselves, the effects of the resurrectionโthis new life in Christ Jesusโand it didnโt involve getting a Mercedes-Benz. Therefore, โDo not doubt but believe.โ
Remember our prisoner and his marble? When the guards later entered the cell to remove his body, a glint of light caught one of the guardsโ eyes. He looked up toward the ceiling to see the most astonishing sightโa marble caught in a spiderโs web. โOf all the crazy things,โ he thought. โHow on earth did the spider manage to get a marble up there?โ He spent the rest of his life wondering.
There are many mysteries in our lives with God, things we can wonder about and seek answers to throughout our lives. However, the question of the resurrection is not one of them, for the proof is all around us.
Let us pray: Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, He who in His great mercy gave us new birth, a birth unto hope which draws its life from the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; a birth to an imperishable inheritance, incapable of fading or defilement, which is kept in heaven for you who are guarded with God’s power through faith; a birth to a salvation which stands ready to be revealed in the last days. Amen.
Nicolas Bertin (1668-1736). La Rรฉsurrection du Christ
Sam died. His will provided $50,000 for an elaborate funeral.
As the last attendees left, Sam’s wife, Rose, turned to her oldest friend, Sadie, and said, โWell, I’m sure Sam would be pleased.โ
โIโm sure you’re right,โ replied Sadie, who leaned in close and lowered her voice to a whisper. โTell me, how much did it really cost?โ
โAll of it,โ said Rose. โ$50,000.โ
โNo!โ Sadie exclaimed. โI mean, it was very nice, but really… $50,000?โ
Rose nodded. โThe funeral was $6,500. I donated $500 to the church for the services, and the reception, food, and drinks were another $500. The rest went for the memorial stone.โ
Sadie computed quickly. โ$42,500 for a memorial stone?! Wow, how big is it?โ
โFive and a half carats,โ Rose said, waggling her fingers.
Today is a good day to laugh at death and the devil, for both have been conquered once and for all.
During this past Season of Lent, weโve been meditating on passages from The Dolorous Passion of our Lord Jesus Christโa series of visions given to blessed Catherine Emmerich. It was initially published in 1833 and is also the primary source of the movie The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson.
The visions provide a brutal account of the events throughout Holy Week, and weโve looked at some of the more difficult passages, so today, I thought it only fair that I share a portion of the joyous conclusion. When studying these, it is important to keep in mind that they are visions; therefore, they are not biblicalโthere is no account of the resurrection in scripture. That said, perhaps they may spark our imaginations and offer some insight into that great event.
Chapter 63: The Resurrection of Our Lord.
โI beheld the soul of our Lord between two angels, who were in the attire of warriors: it was bright, luminous, and resplendent as the sun at midday; his soul penetrated the rock, touched the sacred body, passed into it, and the two were instantaneously united and became as one. I then saw the limbs move and the body of our Lord, being reunited to his soul and to his divinity, rise and shake off the winding sheet: the whole of the cave was illuminated and lightsome.
โAt the same moment, I saw a frightful monster burst from the earth underneath the sepulcher. It had the tail of a serpent, and it raised its dragon head proudly as if eager to attack Jesus; and had likewise a human head. But our Lord held in his hand a white staff, to which was appended a large banner; and he placed his foot on the head of the dragon, and struck its tail three times with his staff, after which the monster disappearedโฆ.
โI then saw the glorified body of our Lord rise up, and it passed through the hard rock as easily as if the latter had been formed of some [soft] substance. The earth shook, and an angel in the garb of a warrior descended from Heaven with the speed of lightning, entered the tomb, lifted the stone, placed it on the right side, and seated himself upon it. At this tremendous sight, the soldiers fell to the ground and remained there, apparently lifeless.โ
Can you see the angel of the Lord suddenly appearing before those soldiers, a mischievous grin on his face, asking, โHow you doinโ?โ I somehow suspect that after those boys woke up, they probably had to go home and change their shorts.
Honestly, I donโt know how it all happened, but I do know this: Jesus rose from the dead. Say, โAmen.โ We learn from the various Gospel accounts that the women and some of the disciples went to the tomb and found it empty. All that remained were the grave clothes. Some encounter angels, and Mary actually encounters the Risen Lord. Can you imagine what they were all thinking?
For me, I think at first I would have been like themโafraid, shocked, wondering what those evil men had done with my Lordโs body. Perhaps after a while, pieces would come into focus, only to blow away like wisps of fog.
The quote from N.T. Wright, which Diane shared with us on Good Friday, holds true not only for Johnโs Gospel but also for all the Gospel accounts and events of those days. He said, โI donโt know that any of us will ever be able to hold all this in our minds at any one time. John allows the images to build up, one upon another, upon another, until weโre overwhelmed by them. . . . The only way forward is to allow all the different ideas and levels, the clashes of meaning and misunderstanding, to echo around until they produce prayer, awe, silence, and love.โ (John for Everyone, Part Two, p.104)
The same must have been true for the Disciples on that first Easter Sunday. Like us, they had all this informationโthe prophecies from Isaiah and Ezekiel about the coming Messiah, the salvation of the Gentiles, and the Psalmistโs words regarding the piercing of the Messiah’s hands and feet. They also had the sayings of Jesus: โThe Son of Man must be killed.โ โDestroy this temple, and in three days, I will raise it up.โ โThis is my bodyโฆ my blood.โ All this information and so much more before Jesusโ death, yet none of it coalesced until after the Resurrection. However, they kept watching and were patient. They remained focused on God, and then, like a rose blooming, it all came together.
St. Paul said to the Colossians, and it is also true for us, โthe mystery hidden for ages and generationsโ has now been โrevealed to his saints. To themโโto you!โโGod chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.โ (Colossians 1:25b-27)
It would be like stepping out of that tomb on the first Easter morning. While inside, objects are shrouded in shadows and darkness. Your mind races. What happened here? Then you step out into the clear light of the new day and realize this is all Godโs doing, and it is all about Godโs love for you. Everything, from the first day when God created the Heavens and the Earth, to Jesusโ first breath in the manger on that first Christmas some 2,000 years ago, to the sunrise of that first Easter Sunday, to this very day, everything has been and is about Godโs love for you and His desire to draw you to Himself.
Laugh at death. Step out of the darkness and the shadows of your self-created tomb and walk in the light and life of Christ Jesus. Rise with Him into life eternal.
From Catherine Emmerich: โTOWARDS the close of the Sabbath-day, John came to see the holy women. He endeavoured to give some consolation, but could not restrain his own tears, and only remained a short time with them. They had likewise a short visit from Peter and James the Greater, after which they retired to their cells, and gave free vent to grief, sitting upon ashes, and veiling themselves even more closely.
Later that evening, โabout nine oโclock at night,โ the Blessed Virgin went out alone. Catherine Emmerich writes, โI saw her stop suddenly in a very solitary spot, and look upwards in an ecstasy of delight, for on the top of the town wall, she beheld the soul of our Lord, resplendent with light without the appearance of a wound, and surrounded by patriarchs. He descended towards her, turned to his companions, and presenting her to them, said, โBehold Mary, behold my Mother.โ He appeared to me to salute her with a kiss, and he then disappearedโฆ This sight filled her with inexpressible joy, and she immediately rejoined the holy women, who were busily employed in preparing the perfumes and spices.
The Lord, speaking through the Prophet Ezekiel, said, โI am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act.โ
On this day, Jesus has been going about His Fatherโs business, descending into Hell and proclaiming release to those held captive. Now, He is bringing them forth, just as Ezekiel prophesied.
The bones of those held captive in Hell were restored, and the flesh returned. The sinews and skin were knit back together, and their bodies became whole. Then โthe breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.โ And Jesus, banner in hand, leads them out of the pit and into the light of God. It is this great exodus that Catherine describes and that the Virgin Mary witnessed.
In the end, it is all a mystery, yet we begin to see in that mirror dimly what has occurred; however, we also begin to glimpse our own future.
Gregory of Nyssa, one of the Cappadocian Fathers and a primary contributor to the Nicene Creed, wrote in the 4th century, โEzekiel, with prophetic spirit, has surpassed all time and space and with his power of prediction has stood at the very moment of the resurrection. Seeing the future as already present, he has brought it before our eyes in his description.โ
There is the release of those held captive in Hell, but it is also a vision of our release from death. It is quite a spectacular scene and offers great hope to those who call upon the Name of the Lord. However, this resurrected life isnโt only about a distant future after weโve been in the ground for so many years; Jesus has made it available to us today.
St. Paul, writing to the Romans, states, โDo you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.โ Through our baptism, we are raisedโresurrectedโwith Christ Jesus, and the resurrected life is ours today.
So, ask yourself this: If I have been given the resurrected life today, do I still live as though I am nothing more than a pile of bones? Or do I take in this breath of God that has been breathed into me and allow it to fill me with faith, hope, and love?
This is the night we declare, โChrist is risen!โ Believe it. Embrace it. Rise with Him into a glorious new life.
Throughout the Gospels, the disciples struggled to grasp who Jesus truly was, along with the significance of his actions and words.
The disciples and Jesus are out on the sea when a storm rolls in, and the disciples fear they will drown. Jesus calms the storm, yet the disciples are even more afraid. He asks them, โWhy are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?โ
Jesus had fed the 5,000, and he and the disciples were out on the boat, but the disciples had forgotten to bring anything to eat. Jesus said to them, โWatch outโbeware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.โ How did the disciples respond? They said to one another, โIt is because we have no bread.โ Jesus then asked them, โWhy are you talking about having no bread? [Ya nitwits! โ Fr. Johnโs commentary] Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and fail to see? Do you have ears and fail to hear?โ
Jesus tells the disciples that he must die, leading to that unfortunate scene with Peter and the โGet behind me, Satan!โ business. And then there is today.
They are gathered in the upper room for their last supper together. Jesus says, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.โ Peter wants to know what he means, but seems afraid to ask, so he tells John to ask Jesus, โWho is it that will betray you?โ John asks, and Jesus responds, โIt is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.โ Jesus then dips a piece of bread into the dish and hands it to Judas Iscariot, saying to him, โDo quickly what you are going to do.โ Scripture then states, โNow no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, โBuy what we need for the festivalโ; or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out.โ
Jesus just said, whoever I give this piece of bread to will be the one who betrays me! He dips the bread into the dish and hands it to Judas. Why then do the disciples not understand? Why, instead of saying that Judas went out to do the deed, does scripture not say, โThe disciples understood that it was Judas who would betray Jesus, so they pounced on him and beat the living daylights out of him!โ Come on, fellas! Seriously?
Why did the disciples fail to grasp who Jesus truly was, the things He did, and what He said? Answer: for the same reason we donโt fully comprehend who Jesus truly is, the things He does, and the things He says. โFor now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.โ
Much of who JesusโGodโis was hidden from the disciples, just as He is hidden from us. Coming into the full knowledge of God would be like walking into the core of the sun. It is beyond our current condition to fathom.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
Instead of understanding everything, God tells us, โUnderstand this,โ and He stretches out His arms upon the hardwood of the cross. You donโt need to understand how it works, what happened, the nature of sin, the Holy Trinity, or why the disciples allowed Judas to walk out and betray Him. You only need to understand the โWhy?โ behind it all. What is the answer to โWhy?โ You.
Today, in The Dolorous Passion by Anne Catherine Emmerich, we turn our attention to Jesusโ most Blessed Mother. From Chapter 45:
โWhat words can, alas, express the deep grief of the Blessed Virgin? Her eyes closed, a death-like tint overspread her countenance; unable to stand, she fell to the ground, but was soon lifted up, and supported by John, Magdalen, and the others. She looked once more upon her beloved Sonโthat Son whom she had conceived by the Holy Ghost, the flesh of her flesh, the bone of her bone, the heart of her heartโhanging on a cross between two thieves; crucified, dishonoured, condemned by those whom he came on earth to save; and well might she at this moment be termed โthe queen of martyrs.โโ
I wondered about all we have been discussing during this Season of Lent, and then I thought of Jesusโ most blessed Mother. It was thirty-three years ago that she gave birth to him, and she knew Him well. He didnโt have to speak for her to understand how He was feeling. She may have been present when he rode into town on the donkey, the crowds joyful and excited, waving palm branches and shouting, โBlessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord.โ However, one look at Jesusโ face, and she knew something was wrongโterribly wrong.
Over the course of the next few days, she came to understand the inner torment He was experiencing, but there was nothing she could do. A day later, news arrived through one of Jesusโ terrified disciples that He had been arrested. There was the trial, the long road to Golgotha, the crucifixion, and nowโฆ now she sits at the foot of the cross, watching her Son dieโthe Son who was conceived in her by the Holy Spirit.
She was oblivious to the crowds around her, unconcerned about the danger she was placing herself in. Nothing distracted her from her Son on the cross. Not one thing could make her take her eyes off of God because she knew that if she was going to get through this, it would be only through Him, for He had come to save her as well.
We can learn many things from this most blessed of all women. We can learn love, patience, perseverance. We can learn what it means to hunger for God and to comfort one another. Therefore, I encourage you this Holy Week to take Mary as your companion. Ask her to reveal to you the things she witnessed and to help you experience the true Passion of our Lord. Ask her to guide you beyond your own fears and away from the crowds and the noise. Ask her to allow you to join her at the foot of the Cross, and then ask her to show you perfect loveโperfect love that was crucified for her and for you.
Let us pray: O Holy Mary, my most gentle Lady, faithful Advocate of all Christians, in view of the extraordinary merits that were yours and which made you most pleasing to God, and in view of your every comforting gesture you made to your Son, as well as the countless tears you shed during his most bitter Passion, I ask you to have pity on me, poor creature that I am. Take me under your maternal care and include me among the number of your servants, whom you hold dear and embrace with your special love.
O glorious Virgin Mary, my only hope, before my soul should leave this body of mine, come and reveal your face to me. Direct your gentle and beautiful eyes of mercy toward me, the very eyes that had joyfully and so often looked upon the fruit of your womb, Jesus, and were wetted because the many tears shed during his Passion. Most holy Mother of Jesus, come and stand at my side together with your group of attending virgins and the holy assemblage of saints, as you had steadfastly and perseveringly stood unto the end, when your most beloved Son was about to die on the Cross. After my Lord Jesus Christ, your only Son, I find none so generous and eager to console someone in need as you, most amiable Mother of the Afflicted. Amen. (On the Passion of Christ: According to the Four Evangelists, p.117)
