Posted on 04/19/2004 8:33:36 PM PDT by Salvation
Even though I have been offline, you have been in my thoughts and prayers.
I am typing the following reflections, so please bear with me. (Some I am retyping, because this new system is not letting the A drive function properly.)
The first post for each day is different. Topics include the Easter Season, personalities, traditions, customs or the saint whose feast is celebrated on that particular day.
The second post for each day is an excerpt from the Gospel passage for that day during the weekday Mass. Additional reflections are offered on Sundays.
I hope you enjoy these six minute daily reflections during the Season of Easter as much as I am.
Listen to these words very carefully…the Father draws us near to Jesus.
Actually, there is no other way to get there. On our own, we cannot connect with the Lord. It is a grace given to us by God.
God doesn’t act upon us physically, dragging us to the Scriptures, or to the Eucharist, or to prayer. God acts upon our hearts, loves us as daughters and sons. And because of that, there is a pull in us toward our brother Jesus.
It’s not our own doing. We’re drawn to Jesus. There is a pull, and internal movement toward Christ.
Think of it – a “pull” in me toward Christ, put there by God. Have I sensed it? And when I sense it, in whatever form, do I respond to it?
The only other option is to resist it.
Augustine said it well: “Our hearts were made for you, O God, and they will not rest until they rest in you.”
From the beginning of the Church, and continued for 12 centuries, receiving Communion meant receiving both the Bread and the Cup. Not to do so (except for special reasons, such as sickness) was considered an abuse.
By the 13th century, a number of things came into play that would change this traditional practice. One factor was an emphasis on seeing and adoring the Eucharist at Mass, rather than receiving it. Thus, there was more emphasis on the Bread. You could see the Bread, but you couldn’t see the wine because it was in the chalice. (The elevation of the Bread after the consecration was introduced in the 13th century.) Receiving communion became so rare that the Church eventually legislated the requirement of Communion once a year – and “Communion” meant the Bread.
By the 15th century, lay reception of the cup had all but disappeared in the Latin Church. In 1415, the Council of Constance forbade the laity to take the cup – thus making into law what for the first 12 centuries of the Church had been considered an abuse.
The rest of the Church (the Eastern Rites) continued the traditional practice of both the Bread and the Cup.
This became an issue at the time of the Reformation – with many of the separated churches restoring the tradition of the Cup. In the latter part of the 16th century, the Council of Trent took up the question, but made no decision.
The restoration of the Cup in the Latin Rite would thus await the 20th century and the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Liturgy.
Passages about the relationship between Jesus and the Father can seem complicated at first, but if we take our time with them, we discover very simple truths.
• Jesus is truly a human being. But he is a human being who is also God. He is one with God the Father, from whom God-life flows. The Opening Prayer on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord says: “May we who share his humanity come to share in his divinity.”
Jesus is the bridge to a relationship with God that we could never acquire on our own. (He will later give us a simple image – He is the vine; we are the branches.)
Jesus is not just a helper. He is the mediator, the link between God and human beings. There is no other – no saint, no bishop, no mystic. He alone is the “bread of life.”
What a gift. So simple. So profound.
Too many words can get in the way. Just let it sink in.
Kate Smith, the “songbird of the south,” was born on this date in 1907.
Over her career, she recorded almost 3,000 songs. Her theme song, ”When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain,”sold over 19 million copies. But Kate Smith was best known for her rendition of ”God Bless America.”
Composer Irving Berlin first wrote, ”God Bless America” in 1918 as part of a musical review. The song never made the cut, and he tucked it away.
In 1938, as the world moved closer to war, Berlin rewrote ”God Bless America.” and it was introduced by Kate Smith during her radio broadcast on Armistice Day, November 11, 1938. It became an unofficial national anthem during the war years, and its popularity continues down to the present day.
In 1965, after attending Roman Catholic liturgies for 25 years, Kate Smith became a member of the Catholic Church.
In her later years, because of her renditions of ”God Bless America.” at Philadelphia Flyers’ hockey games, Kate Smith was regarded as their good luck charm – inspiring them to two successive Stanley Cups (1974-1985)
“Do you also want to leave?”
Why would Jesus even ask the Twelve a question like that?! He should have been positive, something like: “let the rest leave – I know I can count on you guys.” I need to have the courage to let Jesus ask me the same question: “Do you also want to leave?”
No fair fudging by saying something like, “Lord, I accept you, but I no longer want to be part of this group of disciples. So, I’ll just keep it personal, between me and you.”
No good. At the last Supper Table, Jesus said, “Do this in memory of me.” And the “this” was a meal celebrated with a group, not one person’s private meal with the Lord.
I, too, must face the question Jesus put to his disciples, “Do you also want to leave?”
And then Jesus and I can have a good talk.
Friday of this week is First Friday – a devotion to the Sacred Heart that developed in the latter part of the 17th century. There is a difference between devotion and liturgy.
The word liturgy applies to those prayers and rituals and seasons that are in the official books of the Church, regulated by the Church and celebrated on behalf of the whole Church. It refers to more than the Mass. The celebration of any of the sacraments is a liturgy. The Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours) is another example. The calendar of the Church with its seasons and feasts is also part of our liturgy.
Devotions on the other hand, are prayers and practices that are optional, for example, the rosary, forty hours, novenas, scapulars, first Fridays.
No matter how widespread or publicly celebrated a particular devotion may be, it is not part of the core prayers and rituals of the Church, nor is it celebrated on behalf of the whole Church. Many devotions are quite private – a person can make up their own.
People are free to make use of whatever devotions they find helpful. A general principle is that no one (especially a pastoral leader) should attempt to impose his or her devotions on others. Devotions are something like a dessert tray – a person may choose whatever they like. However, should a devotion develop that is contrary to the faith (for example, devil worship) the Church would step in.
This is the longest of all the miracle stories in the Gospels, and one of the best known. While there is no need to retell it here some details deserve a close look.
• The miracle takes place in Bethany, just outside of Jerusalem. Jesus had just been in Jerusalem for a feast, but he had to leave because, when he said to a group of people, “I and the Father are one,” they wanted to stone him. John says, “He escaped from their power.”
• When Lazarus is ill, his sisters ask Jesus to come and heal him…which meant a return to dangerous territory.
• By the time Jesus returns, Lazarus is dead. He has been in the tomb for four days. In that climate, his body would have been in a state of advanced decay. He is very dead.
• Jesus speaks to Martha with utter clarity: “I am the resurrection and the life…everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” And Martha replies by speaking words very similar to the profession of faith that Peter makes in the other three Gospels: I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
• Before calling Lazarus to come out of the tomb, Jesus prays aloud to the Father, showing that God is made known through the words and actions of Jesus.
• In John’s account, this is the miracle that sets in motion the decision to have Jesus killed. One might be tempted to say…Jesus will not get out of there alive. But to say that is to have a very limited view of “life”.
There is an easy-to-miss statement by Jesus toward the end of Mark’s Gospel.
Jesus, at the sight of the withered fig tree, says to the disciples that if they have faith, they can move mountains. That’s familiar enough. But then he says:
“When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance.”(Mark 11:25)
That’s an interesting way to start one’s prayer. (Standing, by the way, was the normal posture of prayer for the Jews.)
Note that Jesus isn’t talking about forgiving people who have a grievance against you. He says to begin the prayer by forgiving anyone “against whom you have a grievance.
The Easter Season is approaching the half-way mark. What would happen if, each day from now on, whatever the topic of prayer, this “prayer tip” of Jesus were followed by everyone using these posts?
“When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance.”
It might actually create a blip on the radar screen of world peace.
This, one of the most loved parables, describes the close relationship between the sheep and the shepherd. They are not just a “flock”. The shepherd knows each by name (a name that he gave them). They recognize his voice, and they follow him because they want to follow him.
The same special bond between the shepherd and each of his sheep is also seen in Luke’s parable of the lost sheep.
It’s just an image, of course. But Jesus is clear about what it means – the individual relationship he has with each of us.
What is the chemistry between Jesus and me?
Look at it first from his side. Well, there’s a good chemistry there: "As the Father loves me, so do I love you.” (We know that, but we might want to think about whether we know it in our heart.)
How about the other side – my chemistry toward Jesus?
Now it gets personal.
In the passage in the next post, Jesus is in Jerusalem for the feast of the Dedication. The Hebrew word for “Dedication” is “Hanukkah”. Jesus is celebrating Hanukkah. It is an eight-day festival commemorating an event that took place over a century and a half earlier.
In 167 B. C., on the 25th day of the third Jewish month, the tyrannical king of Syria desecrated the Temple by removing its altar and putting up a pagan altar on which he offered a sacrifice to Zeus. This capped off years of attempts to paganize the Jewish people, some of whom went along with it. Others, however, were willing to die for their faith.
A revolt ensued, and three years to the day after the desecration, , Judas Maccabeus, leader of the revolt, purified the Temple, built a new altar, and re-dedicated it.
There was great rejoicing for many days, and candles played a large part in the celebration.
To celebrate the feast, a nine-branched menorah is used with one main candle from which an additional candle is lit each of the eight days.
Jesus, along with many other Jewish people has come to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Hanukkah. During the feast, he comes to the Tempe area, where he is recognized as the prophetic teacher many have been talking about.
The people press to find out if he is the “Christ” (“messiah”). He replies that he is not simply God’s special envoy. He makes an astounding statement: “The Father and I are one.”
On this feast of the re-dedication of the Temple, when Jesus is at that moment standing right there in the sacred environs of the Temple, Jesus says that he replaces the Temple as the visible presence of God among them.
John’s Gospel particularly stresses the oneness of Jesus with the Father. Recall the opening words of John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh.”
As I spend some quiet time with the Lord, I need to remind myself with whom I am spending this quiet time.
Cinco de May (Spanish for “Fifth of May”) is a holiday in Mexico, and popular among Mexican-Americans in the United States.
The holiday commemorates a military victory at Puebla, Mexico, in 1862. In itself, the battle was not that important. But symbolically, it meant a great deal.
The Mexican people had gained independence from Spain in 1810. This was followed by internal political wars, then the Mexican-American War, and finally, the Mexican Civil War of 1858. These were now behind them, but the economy was in ruins.
France, using as an excuse Mexico’s failure to pay its debt, sent an invading army to take over Mexico City and install Napoleon’s relative, Maximilian of Austria, as ruler. The French army was moving toward Mexico City when, on May 5, 1862, a small and poorly armed detachment of Mexican soldiers defeated them.
France eventually sent a much larger army that managed to take over Mexico City in 1864, but the success was short-lived, lasting only three years.
Cinco de Mayo honors the spirit of the outnumbered militia that bravely withstood the powerful French army.
I am also giving you a reflection ping for these Easter thoughts, since this day marks the halfway mark through the Easter season. (I know, I am catching up here since I was offline for so long!) Thanks for your understanding.
The first post of each day has to do with either a historical figure, the day, church history, etc. (Various topics.....some even a little nonsensical.)
The second post for each day is a short reflection on that day's Gospel Reading. Try these little six minute reflections each day! (When I catch up I will post them in the morning and post the link in the daily readings thread.)
During Advent and Lent I tried posting this with the daily readings, but I sort of like this format. What do you think?
Reflection Ping to #55.
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
[John’s Gospel has 21 chapters. Today’s passage – the ending of the 12th chapter – concludes the public ministry of Jesus. The Last Supper begins with the 13th chapter, and continues for five chapters.]
Throughout John’s Gospel, there is the theme of light and darkness – an easily understandable symbol for goodness and evil.
Jesus says that people must choose between light or darkness. It is not pre-determined. It is a choice. If they choose light (goodness), then in their lives they reflect the light of Jesus. If they choose darkness (evil), they reflect the prince of darkness. When Judas and his companions come at night to arrest Jesus, John notes that they have “lanterns and torches.” They had rejected the “light of the world” and needed artificial light.
I wonder how different today (or tomorrow) would be if, in every situation, I consciously took two seconds to ask myself: “How can I be light, not darkness?”
Just asking that might make a big difference. Try it.
Henry David Thoreau graduated from Harvard in 1837 and became a schoolteacher. In 1845 he built a small hut on Walden Pond (near Concord, Mass.) and lived in it for two years. His reflections on this experience became the American classic, “Walden.” Thoreau said that he did not feel lonely, for he was surrounded by the company of nature: Every pine needle…befriended me.”
Thoreau was an abolitionist who said that he found it difficult to live in a country in which slavery was permitted. (Slavery was not abolished until after his death.)
”Most of his neighbors regarded [Thoreau] as a harmless crank, if not a social deviant. But by the end of the century his essay on civil disobedience had been discovered by the Russian novelist and moralist Leo Tolstoy. From Tolstoy it was discovered by the Indian Mahatma Gandhi. From Gandhi it was discovered by Martin Luther King, Jr., leader of the non-violent freedom struggle in the United States. So, by this route, the spirit of Thoreau returned to his native land.”Robert Ellsberg, All Saints
The story of the washing of the feet is told only in John’s Gospel. It is the main action at the Last Supper. (John’s account of the Last Supper does not mention the bread and the wine. References to the body and blood of Jesus as food and drink are found earlier in John – in Chapter 6, the “Bread of Life” chapter.)
The foot-washing is a remarkable action on the part of Jesus. It was proper hospitality for the host to provide water for the guests to wash their feet. But actually to wash their feet is something not even a slave could be required to do by his master. When Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, all better-than-thou distinctions were washed away. In case you have any doubt about that, John is clear that Judas was still at the supper table when this happened.
Jesus washed Judas’ feet.
There is no more to say. (Well, yes there is. The Lord and I need to have a serious conversation.)
=== I know, I am catching up here since I was offline for so long!
You were missed.
Whatever format works for you conveys the same blessing for the rest of us.
Thanks, Salvation. It's been nice to have you back.
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