Second Birth: Born of Water and the Spirit

In today's Gospel, John 3: 1-8, Nicodemus goes to Jesus at night and acknowledges that Jesus is from God, "for no one," he says to Jesus, "can do these signs that  you are doing unless God is with him."  Jesus says to him in response: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." Jesus explains further:  "[U]nless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit.....'You must be born from above.'"

In baptism, you and I were born again, that is, we were born of  water and the spirit. Our first birth was of the flesh. Our second birth was of the Spirit. Born of water and the Spirit in baptism, we are recipients of the gifts of the Spirit--wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge and reverence, holy reverence in God's presence--and empowered to bear an abundance of fruits of the Spirit: love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. We live by the Spirit because of this second birth.  The more we renounce ourselves, also, the more we 'walk by the Spirit'" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 736, p. 194).

Nicodemus goes to Jesus at night--he is not yet born from above but is invited to be so!  How strong am I in my faith, that is, do I invite others to be born from above, to be baptized with water and he Spirit? Do I realize that it is because I have been gifted with the sacrament of baptism that I am more likely to act wisely, peacefully, patiently, kindly, gently; that I am therefore  more likely to be faithful to my marriage, religious or priestly vows; and that goodness is more likely to dominate the majority of my choices for that same reason?  Why would I not invite a loved one to choose baptism and seek God above all, to renounce him/herself and thereby walk more in the Spirit than in the flesh?

With the apostles, in today's first reading, Acts 4: 23-31, let us pray for the gift to speak boldly when it comes to proclaiming our faith in Christ Jesus and in what Jesus teaches us in the Scriptures and in the Church.

The Reality of Jesus' Resurrection

In today's Gospel, Luke 24: 35-48, the disciples who returned from Emmaus were sharing their story of their encounter with Jesus with the other apostles. "While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, 'Peace be with you.' But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, 'Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does jot have flesh and bones as you can see I have.' And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. while they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, 'Have you anything here to eat?' They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them."

Do we need any more proof that Jesus is truly risen from the dead?  Not really!   I believe! I also believe that just as Jesus, in His new resurrected body, could pass through closed doors and be here or there wherever He wished, so, too, for us when we pass through death into eternal life.  Our new resurrected bodies, I believe, will have the same powers that Jesus had following His resurrection from the dead. Like Jesus, also, I believe that I will have flesh and bones and will enjoy rich foods and delight in other joys that I experience here on earth but in an expansive way in heaven.

Following his request for something to eat, Jesus "opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. and he said to them, 'Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."

May the Lord open our minds to understand the Scriptures. May we also acknowledge and repent of  our sinfulness, knowing God's and other's forgiveness, as well as being forgiving of others and of ourselves, as well!

 

Jesus Walks beside Us

In today's Gospel, Luke 24: 13-35, we encounter two of Jesus' disciples conversing about what has happened over the past three days, the crucifixion and death of their Master. Bewildered that the Person whom they thought would rebuild the nation of Israel and free them from Roman control, these two disciples are leaving the city of Jerusalem, where the murder of their Master took place. They are on their way to Emmaus.  "And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, 'What are you discussing as you walk along? They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, 'Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?' And he replied to them, 'What sort of things?'"  And the two disciples tell Jesus everything!  Jesus listens!  When the disciples stopped talking, Jesus says to them: "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?' Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures."

Notice several things about Jesus:  1) He quietly joins the two disciples. No fanfare! No one-up-man-ship. Jesus does not show off. In fact, He hides His identity!  2) He walks beside them, not behind them nor in front of them. 3) He asks questions, wanting and encouraging the disciples to tell Him what is on their minds. He wants to know what is troubling them! 4) Jesus listens. He does not interrupt! 5) Once the disciples finish telling all, Jesus opens the Scriptures for them, explaining  passages that refer to Christ.  He still does not overwhelm them by revealing to them who is walking beside them! 6) He accepts the disciples' invitation to stay with them, as it was getting dark! 7) He shared the Eucharist with them: He "took bread, said the blessing, broken it, and give it to them."  8)  He opened their eyes and they recognized Him. 9) He touched their hearts deeply: "'Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?'"

Jesus is no different today than back then! 

• He walks beside us!
• He joins us as a quiet listener in our debates with one another (or with ourselves)!
• He hides His identity as the God! We do not see Him in His divinity!
• He wants us to tell all! He wants us to tell Him what is bothering us!
• Jesus listens without interrupting us!
• He opens the Scriptures for us!
• He accepts our invitation to stay with us, "as it is nearly evening and the day is almost over," that is, it is getting dark! 
• He takes bread, says the blessing, breaks it, and gives it to us in the Eucharist as our nourishment, our strength, our purification, our communion with God made flesh with our flesh!

Happy Easter!

In today's Gospel, Luke 24: 1-12, Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary the mother of James went to the tomb at daybreak with spices they had prepared to anoint Jesus' body. They found the tomb empty. While these women,  and others who accompanied them,  were puzzling over the empty tomb, "two men in dazzling garments appeared to them...and said to them: 'Why do you seek seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise from the dead.'"  The women shared their experience with the apostles, who dismissed it as nonsense. Peter, however,  went to the tomb to check the women's story and found only the burial cloths. He returned "home amazed at what had happened."

Death had no power over Jesus. Neither will it have any power us, as St. Paul reminds us in Romans 6: 3-11. "Brothers and sisters: are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life....If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him...." nor over us who believe in Him and live like Him.

Alleluia!

Jesus: Obedient unto Death

"Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every other name" (Phil 2: 8-9).

As a human being, Jesus went through death in His return to His Father in glory. You and I will also go through death on our return to our eternal home. Once we have passed through death, we will be at the gate that opens into heaven. Thinking of death may be scary for us. However, as St. Paul reminds us in today's second reading,  Hebrews 4: 14-16; 5 7-9, we "have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the son of God...[W]e do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin, so let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help...." 

As we struggle with our weaknesses, and especially as we struggle with medical conditions that bring us, it seems, to death's door,  or reminds us of our mortality, let us share our fears with Jesus, as we would with a best friend here on earth!  Let us not be afraid to bare our soul to Jesus!  He knows what we are going through, as He Himself has been tested as we are!  He will empathize! He will understand!  He will be able to help us through the darkness into light!

Institution of two sacraments: The Eucharist and Ordination

[O]n the night he was handed over, [Jesus] took bread and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, 'This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,  you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes."

In those words, Jesus instituted two sacraments: the sacrament of the Eucharist and the sacrament of Ordination.  The apostles that night, were ordained priests and entrusted with doing in remembrance of Jesus what Jesus did: changed the bread into His body and the wine into His blood.  "Do this in remembrance of me."  At every Mass, the priest consecrates the bread and wine and says to us: "Take and eat; this is the body of Jesus given up for you and the blood of Jesus poured out for you. Yes, at every Mass, when we receive Holy Communion, we "eat this bread and drink the cup...[proclaiming] the death of the Lord until he comes."  

In the responsorial psalm for tonight's Mass, we pray:  ""How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the Lord....To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon there name of the Lord.  My vows to the Lord I will pay in the presence of all his people." We do that at the Mass!

Jesus' Hour Had Come!

Tonight is night before Jesus gathers His apostles together to celebrate the Passover meal with Him, to institute the Eucharist, and to announce that one of them is going to betray Him that very night. Tomorrow night Jesus will be arrested in the Garden of Olives, betrayed by one of his close followers, one who followed Jesus closely day by day for three years and was chosen to be a part of an elite group referred to as the apostles. Tomorrow night Jesus will be arrested. I feel sad but I must remember how Jesus foretold his death and subsequent glorification.

In John 12: 23-28,  Jesus says to he apostles: "Now the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  I tell you, most solemnly, unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies it yields a rich harvest. Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for the eternal life. If a [person] serves me, that [person]  must follow me, wherever I am, my servant will be there too. [Those who] serve me, my Father will honor...Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say: Father, save me from this hour? But it was for this very reason that I have come to this hour. Father glorify your name."

WOW!  Lord, when my hour approaches, may I be graced to remember that through my death your name is being glorified, as it will be the moment that a place has been prepared for me in the eternal kingdom. that moment will be the moment that you have been waiting for: the moment to take me home to heaven to live with you forever! May I, Lord, through grace, "keep [my life] for the eternal life."