Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - Litany Lane Blog:
Apostle, Psalms 149:1-6, Luke 6:12-19, Saint Paphnutius of Thebes, The Twelve Apostles, The Mystical City of God Ch5 Bk 6
Good Day Bloggers! Apostle, Psalms 149:1-6, Luke 6:12-19, Saint Paphnutius of Thebes, The Twelve Apostles, The Mystical City of God Ch5 Bk 6
Wishing everyone a Blessed Week!
P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Something Happens). It has a remarkable way of producing solace, peace, patience and tranquility and of course resolution...God's always available 24/7.
We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have
flaws but we also all have the gift knowledge and free will as well,
make the most of it. Life on earth is a stepping to our eternal home in
Heaven. Its your choice whether to rise towards eternal light or lost to
eternal darkness. Material items, though needed for sustenance and
survival on earth are of earthly value only. The only thing that passes
from this earth to Heaven is our Soul, our Spirit...it's God's perpetual
gift to us...Embrace it, treasure it, nurture it, protect it...
"Raise not a hand to another unless it is to offer in peace and goodwill." ~ Zarya Parx 2012
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Today's Word: apostle a·pos·tle [uh-pos-uhl]
Origin: before 950; Middle English, variant of apostel, apostol, Old English apostol (compare Old Frisian apostol, Old High German apostol ( o ), German Apostel ) < Late Latin apostolus < Greek apóstolos literally, one who is sent out; akin to apostéllein to send off; see apo-. Compare, with loss of initial unstressed a-, Middle English postle, postel, Old English postol (> Old Norse postuli ) Old High German postul
noun
1. any of the early followers of Jesus who carried the Christian message into the world.
2. ( sometimes initial capital letter ) any of the original 12 disciples called by Jesus to preach the gospel: Simon Peter, the brothers James and John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas Iscariot.
3. the first or the best-known Christian missionary in any region or country.
4. Eastern Church . one of the 70 disciples of Jesus.
5. the title of the highest ecclesiastical official in certain Protestant sects.
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Today's Old Testament Reading - Psalms 149:1-6, 9
1 Alleluia! Sing a new song to Yahweh: his praise in the assembly of the faithful!2 Israel shall rejoice in its Maker, the children of Zion delight in their king;
3 they shall dance in praise of his name, play to him on tambourines and harp!
4 For Yahweh loves his people, he will crown the humble with salvation.
5 The faithful exult in glory, shout for joy as they worship him,
6 praising God to the heights with their voices, a two-edged sword in their hands,
9 to execute on them the judgement passed -- to the honour of all his faithful.
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Today's Gospel Reading - Luke 6:12-19
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| Calling of the Apostles |
Now it happened in those
days that Jesus went onto the mountain to pray; and he spent the whole
night in prayer to God. When day came he summoned his disciples and
picked out twelve of them; he called them ‘apostles’: Simon whom he
called Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas
son of James, and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor. He then came
down with them and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a
large gathering of his disciples, with a great crowd of people from all
parts of Judaea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
who had come to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. People
tormented by unclean spirits were also cured, and everyone in the crowd
was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them
all.
Reflection
• The
Gospel today presents two facts: the choice of the twelve apostles (Lk
6, 12-16) and the enormous crowds who want to meet Jesus (Lk 6, 17-19).
The Gospel today invites us to reflect on the Twelve who were chosen to
live with Jesus, being apostles. The first Christians remembered and
registered the name of these twelve and of some other men and women, who
followed Jesus and who, after His Resurrection, began to create the
communities for the world outside. Today, also, all remember some
catechists or persons, significant for their own Christian formation.
• Luke 6, 12-13: The choice of the 12 apostles. Before choosing the twelve apostles definitively, Jesus spent a whole night in prayer. He prays in order to know whom to choose and then chooses the Twelve, whose names are in the Gospels and they will receive the name of apostles. Apostle means sent, missionary. They were called to carry out a mission, the same mission that Jesus received from the Father (Jn 20, 21). Mark is more concrete and says that God called them to be with him and he sends them on mission (Mk 3, 14).
• Luke 6, 14-16: The names of the 12 Apostles. With
small differences the names of the Twelve are the same in the Gospels
of Matthew (Mt 10, 2-4), Mark (Mk 3, 16-19) and Luke (Lk 6, 14-16). The
majority of these names come from the Old Testament. For example, Simeon
is the name of one of the sons of the Patriarch Jacob (Gn 29, 33).
James (Giacomo) is the same name of Jacob (Gn 25, 26), Judah is the name
of the other son of Jacob (Gn 35, 23). Matthew also had the name of
Levi (Mk 2, 14), the other son of Jacob (Gn 35, 23) Of the twelve
apostles, seven have a name that comes from the time of the Patriarchs:
two times Simon, two times, James, two times Judah, and one time Levi!
That reveals the wisdom and the pedagogy of the people. Through the
names of the Patriarchs and the matriarchs, which were given to the sons
and daughters, people maintained alive the tradition of the ancestors
and helped their own children not to lose their identity. Which are the
names which we give our children today?
• Luke 6, 17-19: Jesus goes down from the mountain and people are looking for him. Coming down from the mountain with the twelve, Jesus finds an immense crowd of people who were trying to hear his words and to touch him, because people knew that from him came out a force of life. In this crowd there were Jews and foreigners, people from Judaea and also from Tyre and Sidon. These were people who were abandoned, disoriented. Jesus accepts all those who look for him Jews and Pagans! This is one of the themes preferred by Luke!
These twelve persons, called by Jesus to form the first community, were not saints. They were common persons, like all of us. They had their virtues and their defects. The Gospels tell us very little on the temperament and the character of each one of them. But what they say, even if not much is for us a reason for consolation:
-
Peter was a generous person and full of enthusiasm (Mk 14, 29.31; Mt
14, 28-29), but at the moment of danger and of taking a decision, his
heart becomes small and cannot go ahead (Mt 14, 30; Mc 14, 66-72). He
was even Satan for Jesus (Mk 8, 33). Jesus calls him Rock (Peter). Peter
of himself was not ‘Pietra’ - Rock, he becomes Rock (Pietra) because
Jesus prays for him (Lc 22, 31-32).
- James and John are ready to suffer with and for Jesus (Mk 10, 39), but they were very violent (Lk 9, 54), Jesus calls them “sons of thunder” (Mk 3, 17). John seemed to have some sort of envy. He wanted Jesus only for his group (Mk 9, 38).
- Philip had a nice welcoming way. He knew how to put others in contact with Jesus (Jn 1, 45-46), but he was not too practical in solving the problems (Jn 12, 20-22; 6, 7). Sometimes he was very naïve. There was a moment when Jesus lost his patience with him: Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? (Jn 14, 8-9).
- Andrew, the brother of Peter and friend of Philip, he was more practical. Philip goes to him to solve the problems (Jn 12, 21-22). Andrew calls Peter (Jn 1, 40-41), and Andrew found the boy who had five loaves of bread and two fish (Jn 6, 8-9).
- Bartholomew seems to be the same as Nathanael. This one was from there and could not admit that anything good could come from Nazareth (Jn 1, 46).
- Thomas was capable of sustaining his own opinion, for a whole week, against the witness of all the others (Jn 20, 24-25). But when he saw that he was mistaken, he was not afraid to acknowledge his error (Jn 20, 26-28). He was generous, ready to die with Jesus (Jn 11, 16).
- Matthew or Levi was a Publican, a tax collector, like Zaccheus (Mt 9, 9; Lk 19, 2). They were persons who held to the system of oppression of that time.
- Simon, instead, seems that he belonged to the movement which radically opposed the system which the Roman Empire imposed on the Jewish people. This is why he was also called Zealot (Lk 6, 15). The group of the Zealots even succeeded to bring about an armed revolt against the Romans.
- Judah was the one who was in charge of the money in the group (Jn 13, 29). He betrayed Jesus.
- James, son of Alphaeus and Judas Taddeus. The Gospels say nothing of these two, they only mention their name.
Personal questions
• Jesus spends the whole night in prayer to know whom to choose, and then he chooses those twelve. Which conclusions can you draw?
• Do you recall the persons who began the community to which you belong? What do you remember about them: the content of what they taught or the witness they gave?
• Do you recall the persons who began the community to which you belong? What do you remember about them: the content of what they taught or the witness they gave?
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
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Featured Item of the Day from Litany Lane
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Saint of the Day:
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| St Paphnutius of Thebes |
Some ancient church historians claim that he took a prominent, perhaps a decisive, part in the debate at the First Ecumenical Council on the subject of the clerical celibacy. It seems that most of the bishops present were disposed to follow the precedent of the Council of Elvira prohibiting conjugal relations to those bishops, priests, deacons, and sub-deacons, who were married before ordination. Paphnutius, so certain ancient authors tell us, earnestly entreated his fellow-bishops not to impose this obligation on the orders of the clergy concerned. He proposed, in accordance "with the ancient tradition of the Church", that only those who were celibates at the time of ordination should continue to observe continence, but, on the other hand, that "none should be separated from her, to whom, while yet unordained, he had been united". The great veneration in which he was held, and the well known fact that he had himself observed the strictest chastity all his life, gave weight to his proposal, which was unanimously adopted. The council left it to the discretion of the married clergy to continue or discontinue their marital relations. In addition, Paphnutius was a zealous defender of Orthodoxy in the face of the Arian heresy.
Paphnutius supposedly accompanied Saint Athanasius to the First Synod of Tyre in 335 A.D.
His feast is on April 19 [1]; in the Roman Catholic Church It is on September 11.
The very existence of Paphnutius is contested by the historian Friedrich Winkelmann, because he is never mentioned by Athanasius, who also battled against arianism. Also, the Church History of Socrates Scholasticus, our earliest source on Paphnutius, is one of the very few references for him in general.
His participation in the First Ecumenical Council was disputed several times, among others by such a respected canon law historian as Alfons Maria Cardinal Stickler. Stickler's objection is that Paphutius' presence at the council was never mentioned by the council's historian Eusebius of Caesarea, and he also disproves Socrates' statement that he personally spoke to a participant of the council as Socrates was supposedly born too late to know personally anyone who had taken part in it. Stickler's main argument against Paphnutius' story is that the Synod of Trullo (691) failed to mention the Paphnutius story when they allowed matrimony for priests, which was done, as Stickler claims, under the Emperor's pressure. The Council of Trullo, rather erroneously, referred only to the decrees of the Council of Carthage. However, Eusebius does not mention many things that certainly did happen, we are not sure when Socrates of Constantinople was born, and the Council of Trullo might have invoked several other canons from the past, but it did not care to do that.
On the other hand, there have also been several prominent scholars who defended the veracity of the Paphnutius story. The main arguments were laid down already by Karl Josef von Hefele in his Conciliengeschichte (1855), and were taken up by his successor at the Tübingen Catholic faculty of theology Franz Xaver von Funk, as well as by some other eminent historians as Elphège Vacandard in the article on celibacy in the pretigious Dictionnaire de théologie catholique (1905) and Henri Leclercq in an article in the Histoire des conciles (1908). Vacandard's position found wide acceptance among the scholars, but here we shall cite only the original argument by Hefele that more conspicuously emphasizes the distinctive practices of the Eastern Church (since Paphnutius' appearance at the First Ecumenical Council is of paramount importance for the question of clerical celibacy, we shall quote Hefele in full length):
If this account [the Paphnutius story] be true, we must conclude that a law was proposed to the Council of Nicaea the same as one which had been carried twenty years previously at Elvira, in Spain; this coincidence would lead us to believe that it was the Spaniard Hosius who proposed the law respecting celibacy at Nicaea.
The discourse ascribed to Paphnutius, and the consequent decision of the Synod, agree very well with the text of the Apostolic Constitutions, and with the whole practice of the Greek Church in respect to celibacy. The Greek Church as well as the Latin accepted the principle, that whoever had taken holy orders before marriage, ought not to be married afterwards. In the Latin Church, bishops, priests, deacons, and even subdeacons, were considered to be subject to this law, because the latter were at a very early period reckoned among the higher servants of the Church, which was not the case in the Greek Church. The Greek Church went so far as to allow deacons to marry after their ordination, if previously to it they had expressly obtained from their bishop permission to do so. The Council of Ancyra affirms this (c. 10). We see that the Greek Church wishes to leave the bishop free to decide the matter; but in reference to priests, it also prohibited them from marrying after their ordination.
Therefore, whilst the Latin Church exacted of those presenting themselves for ordination, even as subdeacons, that they should not continue to live with their wives if they were married, the Greek Church gave no such prohibition; but if the wife of an ordained clergyman died, the Greek Church allowed no second marriage. The Apostolic Constitutions decided this point in the same way. To leave their wives from a pretext of piety was also forbidden to Greek priests; and the Synod of Gangra (c. 4) took up the defence of married priests against the Eustathians. Eustathius, however, was not alone among the Greeks in opposing the marriage of all clerics, and in desiring to introduce into the Greek Church the Latin discipline on this point. St. Epiphanius also inclined towards this side. The Greek Church did not, however, adopt this rigour in reference to priests, deacons, and subdeacons, but by degrees it came to be required of bishops and of the higher order of clergy in general, that they should live in celibacy. Yet this was not until after the compilation of the Apostolic Canons (c. 5) and of the Constitutions; for in those documents mention is made of bishops living in wedlock, and Church history shows that there were married bishops, for instance Synesius, in the fifth century. But it is fair to remark, even as to Synesius, that he made it an express condition of his acceptation, on his election to the episcopate, that he might continue to live the married life. Thomassin believes that Synesius did not seriously require this condition, and only spoke thus for the sake of escaping the episcopal office; which would seem to imply that in his time Greek bishops had already begun to live in celibacy. At the Trullan Synod (c. 13.) the Greek Church finally settled the question of the marriage of priests.
Baronius, Valesius, and other historians, have considered the account of the part taken by Paphnutius to be apocryphal. Baronius says, that as the Council of Nicaea in its third canon gave a law upon celibacy it is quite impossible to admit that it would alter such a law on account of Paphnutius. But Baronius is mistaken in seeing a law upon celibacy in that third canon; he thought it to be so, because, when mentioning the women who might live in the clergyman's house--his mother, sister, etc.--the canon does not say a word about the wife. It had no occasion to mention her, it was referring to the συνεισακτοι whilst these συνεισακτοι and married women have nothing in common. Natalis Alexander gives this anecdote about Paphnutius in full: he desired to refute Bellarmin, who considered it to be untrue and an invention of Socrates to please the Novatians. Natalis Alexander often maintains erroneous opinions, and on the present question he deserves no confidence. If, as St. Epiphanius relates, the Novatians maintained that the clergy might be married exactly like the laity, it cannot be said that Socrates shared that opinion, since he says, or rather makes Paphnutius say, that, according to ancient tradition, those not married at the time of ordination should not be so subsequently. Moreover, if it may be said that Socrates had a partial sympathy with the Novatians, he certainly cannot be considered as belonging to them, still less can he be accused of falsifying history in their favour. He may sometimes have propounded erroneous opinions, but there is a great difference between that and the invention of a whole story.
Valesius especially makes use of the argument ex silentio against Socrates. (a) Rufinus, he says, gives many particulars about Paphnutius in his History of the Church; he mentions his martyrdom, his miracles, and the Emperor's reverence for him, but not a single word of the business about celibacy. (b) The name of Paphnutius is wanting in the list of Egyptian bishops present at the Synod. These two arguments of Valesius are weak; the second has the authority of Rufinus himself against it, who expressly says that Bishop Paphnutius was present at the Council of Nicaea. If Valesius means by lists only the signatures at the end of the acts of the Council, this proves nothing; for these lists are very imperfect, and it is well known that many bishops whose names are not among these signatures were present at Nicaea. This argument ex silentio is evidently insufficient to prove that the anecdote about Paphnutius must be rejected as false, seeing that it is in perfect harmony with the practice of the ancient Church, and especially of the Greek Church, on the subject of clerical marriages. On the other hand, Thomassin pretends that there was no such practice, and endeavours to prove by quotations from St. Epiphanius, St. Jerome, Eusebius, and St. John Chrysostom, that even in the East priests who were married at the time of their ordination were prohibited from continuing to live with their wives. The texts quoted by Thomassin prove only that the Greeks gave especial honour to priests living in perfect continency, but they do not prove that this continence was a duty incumbent upon all priests; and so much the less, as the fifth and twenty-fifth Apostolic canons, the fourth canon of Gangra, and the thirteenth of the Trullan Synod, demonstrate clearly enough what was the universal custom of the Greek Church on this point. Lupus and Phillips explained the words of Paphnutius in another sense. According to them, the Egyptian bishop was not speaking in a general way; he simply desired that the contemplated law should not include the subdeacons. But this explanation does not agree with the extracts quoted from Socrates, Sozomen, and Gelasius, who believe Paphnutius intended deacons and priests as well.
References
"Paphnutius". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Paphnutius". Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.
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Today's Snippet : The Twelve Apostles
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| Jesus and the 12 apostles in Domus Galileae, Israel |
The term apostle is derived from Classical Greek ἀπόστολος (apóstolos), meaning "one who is sent away", from στέλλω ("stello", "send") + από (apo, "away from"). The literal meaning in English is therefore an "emissary", from the Latin mitto ("send") and ex ("from"). The purpose of such "sending away" (not strictly "forth" which implies "forward", πρό (pró in Greek), and pro
in Latin) is to convey messages. Thus "a messenger" is a common
alternative translation, but distinguished from Greek: ἄγγελος ("angel" or "messenger"). In the case of the Christian apostles, the message they were sent away to convey was very broadly the message of the "good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ", and they were sent away by Jesus to the Jews in Matthew 10 (see also Matthew 10), as the following quote from verses 1 to 7 reveals:
(1):"And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.(2): Now the names of the twelve apostles are these:...(5)These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them, saying, go not into the way of the Gentiles and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not (6): but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (7)And as ye go preach saying 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand'"
Before their sending away the Twelve had been mere "Disciples", from Latin discipulus, one who learns, from disco, to learn. This event was for them thus a form of graduation, when they stepped-up from being students to teachers. Shaliah is a comparable Hebrew term of the Greek word apostle. Jesus is stated in the Bible to have had twelve apostles who by the Great Commission spread the message of the Gospel to all nations after his resurrection. There is also an orthodox tradition derived from the Gospel of Luke of Seventy Apostles.
Saul of Tarsus (aka Paul), not one of the Twelve or the Seventy and a recent convert, claimed the title of Apostle to the Gentiles, even though other apostles actively recruited Gentiles (non-Jews) and St. Peter's role was never restricted to just Apostle to the Jews (see also Circumcision controversy in early Christianity, Incident at Antioch, Primacy of Simon Peter, and Paul of Tarsus and Judaism), indeed traditionally the first Gentile convert is considered to be Cornelius the Centurion, who was recruited by Peter. Paul claimed a special commission from the resurrected Jesus, separate from the Great Commission given to the Twelve. Paul did not restrict the term apostle to the Twelve, referring to his mentor Barnabas and others as apostles, either because he didn't know it or resisted it. This restricted usage appears in Revelation. In modern usage, major missionaries are sometimes termed apostles, as in Saint Patrick, Apostle of Ireland.
The sub-period of Early Christianity during the lifetimes of the apostles is called the Apostolic Age. In the 2nd century, association with the apostles was esteemed as evidence of authority and such churches are known as Apostolic Sees. Paul's epistles were accepted as scripture (see Development of the New Testament canon),
and two of the four gospels were associated with apostles, as were
other New Testament works. Various Christian texts, such as the Didache and the Apostolic Constitutions, were attributed to the twelve apostles. Bishops traced their lines of succession back to individual apostles, who were said to have established churches across great territories. Christian bishops have traditionally claimed authority deriving, by apostolic succession, from the Twelve. Early Church Fathers came to be associated with apostles, such as Pope Clement I with Peter the Apostle (see Apostolic Fathers). The Apostles' Creed, popular in the West, was said to have been composed by the Apostles themselves.
Terminology
The word "apostle" has two meanings, the broader meaning of a
messenger and the narrow meaning of an early apostle directly linked to
Jesus Christ. The more general meaning of the word is translated into
Latin as 'missio', and from this word we get 'missionary.'
The word apostle comes from the Greek word ἀπόστολος (apostolos). According to the Bauer lexicon, Walter Bauer's Greek-English Lexicon of the NT: "…Judaism had an office known as apostle (שליח)". See also Proselytes. The Friberg Greek Lexicon
gives a broad definition as one who is sent on a mission, a
commissioned representative of a congregation, a messenger for God, a
person who has the special task of founding and establishing churches.
The UBS Greek Dictionary also describes an apostle broadly as a messenger. The Louw-Nida Lexicon
gives a very narrow definition of a special messenger, generally
restricted to the immediate followers of Jesus, or extended to some
others like Paul or other early Christians active in proclaiming the gospel.
Portrayal
The apostles are portrayed in the New Testament as having been Galilean Jews. The names of the majority of them are Hebrew names, although some had Greek names. Jesus’ statements that his mission is directed only to those of the house of Israel,[Mt 10:1-6] [15:22-24] [Lk 22:30]
imply that the twelve apostles were all Judean Hebrews. For Christians
who view the Hebrew prophets as speaking of Jesus and Christianity,
support for the Jewishness of the apostles is found, on the one hand, in
the prophetic assertions that it was the Jews whom God had chosen to
bring all the nations (the "Gentiles") to faith in him, and that, on the other hand, Jesus appointed the twelve apostles kingship and told them that they will sit on thrones, administering, the affairs of the twelve tribes of Israel.[Lk 22:29-30] Even the "supernumerary apostle", the "Apostle to the Gentiles", Saul of Tarsus, who said that Jesus revealed himself to him only after his ascension and appointed him to his mission,[Acts 9:1-19] [Gal 1:11-12] was a Jew by birth and always proud of it,[1:14] although since his conversion to Jesus he adopted the Roman surname Paulus as his first name, rendered in English as Paul.[Acts 13:9]
The Gospel of Mark[Mk 6:7-13] states that Jesus initially sent out these twelve in pairs,[cf. Mt. 10:5-42] [Lk 9:1-6] to towns in Galilee. Literal readings of the text state that their initial instructions were to heal the sick and drive out demons, and in the Gospel of Matthew to raise the dead,
but some scholars read this more metaphorically as instructions to heal
the spiritually sick and thus to drive away wicked behaviour. They are
also instructed to "take nothing for their journey, except a staff only:
no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse, but to wear sandals, and
not put on two tunics",
and that if any town rejects them they ought to shake the dust off
their feet as they leave, a gesture which some scholars think was meant
as a contemptuous threat (Miller 26). Their carrying of just a staff
(Matthew and Luke say not even a staff) is sometimes given as the reason
for the use by Christian Bishops of a staff of office, in those denominations that believe they maintain an apostolic succession.
There is also evidence that follows those marked apostle. Paul made
his case to the Corinthian Church that he was an apostle by the evidence
of God's power working through him. Paul states, "The things that mark
an apostle—signs, wonders and miracles—were done among you with great
perseverance."[2 Co. 12:12] (NIV)
Later in the Gospel narratives the twelve apostles are described as having been commissioned to preach the Gospel to "all the nations,"[Mt 28:19] [Mk 13:10][16:15] regardless of whether Jew or Gentile.
Paul emphasized the important role of the apostles in the church of God
when he said that the household of God is "built upon the foundation of
apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone"[Ephesians 2:19-20].
The Twelve Apostles
The twelve apostles comprise the following:
- Simon Peter: Renamed by Jesus to Peter (meaning rock), his original name was Simon bar Jonah;[Mk 3:16] was a fisherman from the Bethsaida "of Galilee"[Jn 1:44], cf. Jn 12:21. Also known as Simon bar Jochanan (Aram.), Cephas (Aram.).
- Andrew: The brother of Simon/Peter, a Bethsaida fisherman, and a former disciple of John the Baptist.
- James, son of Zebedee: The brother of John.
- John: The brother of James. Jesus named both of them Bo-aner'ges, which means "sons of thunder'.'"[Mk 3:17]
- Philip: From the Bethsaida of Galilee[Jn 1:44] [12:21]
- Bartholomew, son of Talemai; usually identified with Nathanael, who is mentioned in Jn 1:45-51.
- Matthew: The tax collector. The similarity between Mt 9:9-10, Mk 2:14-15 and Lu 5:27-29 may indicate that Matthew was also known as Levi.[15]
- Thomas: Judas Thomas Didymus - Aramaic T'oma' = twin, and Greek Didymos = twin. Doubting Thomas.
- James, son of Alphaeus: Generally identified with "James the Less", and also identified by Roman Catholics with "James the Just".
- Jude the Apostle: In some manuscripts of Matthew, the name "Lebbaeus" occurs in this place. Thaddeus is traditionally identified with Jude; see below.
- Simon the Zealot: Some have identified him with Simeon of Jerusalem.
- Judas Iscariot: The disciple who later betrayed Jesus.[Mk 3:19] The name Iscariot may refer to the Judaean towns of Kerioth or to the sicarii (Jewish nationalist insurrectionists), or to Issachar. Also referred to as "Judas, the son of Simon."[Jn 6:71] [13:26] He was replaced by Matthias as an apostle shortly after Jesus' resurrection.
Judas had been one of the Twelve, but he betrayed Jesus and committed suicide. With Judas gone, Matthias became one of the Twelve.[Ac 1:15-26] In the Synoptic Gospels,
Mark names the Twelve, Matthew follows Mark, and Luke substitutes Judas
for Mark's Thaddeus. John refers to the Twelve without naming them all,
adds the name Nathaniel, and uses the term "beloved disciple" (presumably for John). Jesus calls his inner circle of twelve disciples "The Twelve", which might allude to the Twelve tribes of Israel[Mt. 19:28][Lu. 22:28-30]. In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus selects Peter, James, and John to witness his divine Transfiguration and to be with him when he prays at Gethsemane. In Mark, the Twelve are obtuse, failing to understand the importance of Jesus' miracles and parables. The book of Acts recounts the deeds of the Apostles in the years after Jesus' crucifixion.
Calling by Jesus
 |
| Calling of the Apostles |
The three Synoptic Gospels
record the circumstances in which some of the disciples were recruited,
Matthew only describing the recruitment of Simon, Andrew, James, and
John. All three Synoptic Gospels state that these four were recruited
fairly soon after Jesus returned from being tempted by the devil.
Despite Jesus only briefly requesting that they join him, they are
all described as immediately consenting, and abandoning their nets to do
so. Traditionally the immediacy of their consent was viewed as an
example of divine power, although this statement isn't made in the text
itself. The alternative and much more ordinary solution is that Jesus
was simply friends with the individuals beforehand, as implied by the
Gospel of John, which states that Andrew and an unnamed other had been a
disciple of John the Baptist, and started following Jesus as soon as Jesus had been baptized. The Bible identifies Jesus as a tekton[Mk 6:3], a Greek word meaning builder or artisan, traditionally translated as carpenter.
Considering this profession, it is plausible that Jesus had been
employed to build and repair fishing vessels, thus having many
opportunities to interact with and befriend such fishermen.
Albright and Mann extrapolate from Simon's and Andrew's abandonment
of their nets, that Matthew is emphasizing the importance of
renunciation by converting to Christianity, since fishing was
profitable, though required large start-up costs, and abandoning
everything would have been an important sacrifice. Regardless, Simon and
Andrew's abandonment of what were effectively their most important
worldly possessions was taken as a model by later Christian ascetics.
Matthew describes Jesus meeting James and John, also fishermen and
brothers, very shortly after recruiting Simon and Andrew. Matthew and
Mark identify James and John as sons of Zebedee.
Luke adds to Matthew and Mark that James and John worked as a team with
Simon and Andrew. Matthew states that at the time of the encounter,
James and John were repairing their nets, but readily joined Jesus
without hesitation. This parallels the accounts of Mark and Luke, but
Matthew implies that the men have also abandoned their father (since he
is present in the ship they abandon behind them), and Carter feels this
should be interpreted to mean that Matthew's view of Jesus is one of a
figure rejecting the traditional patriarchal structure of society, where
the father had command over his children; most scholars, however, just
interpret it to mean that Matthew intended these two to be seen as even
more devoted than the other pair.
The synoptics go on to describe that much later, after Jesus had later begun his ministry, Jesus noticed, while teaching, a tax collector in his booth. The tax collector, Levi according to some Gospels, Matthew
according to others, is asked by Jesus to become one of his disciples.
Matthew/Levi is stated to have accepted and then invited Jesus for a
meal with his friends. Tax collectors were seen as villains in Jewish society, and the Pharisees
are described by the synoptics as asking Jesus why he is having a meal
with such disreputable people. The reply Jesus gives to this is now well
known: it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.[Mk 2:17]
After Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ and then in guilt committed suicide before Christ's resurrection
(in one Gospel account), the apostles numbered eleven. When Jesus had
been taken up from them, in preparation for the coming of the Holy
Spirit that he had promised them, Peter advised the brethren:
Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus... For he was numbered with us, and received his portion in this ministry... For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'Let his habitation be made desolate, Let no one dwell therein', and, 'Let another take his office'... So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us, must become with us a witness to his resurrection—Acts 1:15-26
So, between the ascension of Christ and the day of Pentecost, the remaining apostles elected a twelfth apostle by casting lots, a traditional Israelite way to determine the Will of God. (see Proverbs 16:33) The lot fell upon Matthias.
Apostolic Age
The Apostolic Age of the history of Christianity is traditionally the period of the Twelve Apostles, dating from the Crucifixion of Jesus (c. 30-33) and the Great Commission in Jerusalem until the death of John the Apostle (c. 115) in Anatolia. The Apostles are said to have dispersed from Jerusalem and founded the Apostolic Sees. Since it is believed that John lived so long and was the last of the twelve to die, there is some overlap between the "Apostolic Age" and the first Apostolic Fathers, whose writings are used to mark the beginning of the Ante-Nicene Period. It holds special significance in Christian tradition as the age of the direct apostles of Jesus Christ. The major primary source for the "Apostolic Age" is the Acts of the Apostles, but its historical accuracy is questioned by some.
The early followers of Jesus Christ composed principally messianic people during the late Second Temple period of the 1st century. Some Early Christian groups were composed of people who were Israelite by ethnicity, such as the Ebionites and the early church leaders in Jerusalem, collectively called Jewish Christians. During this period, they were led by James the Just. Paul of Tarsus, commonly known as Saint Paul, persecuted the early Christians, such as Saint Stephen, then converted and adopted the title of "Apostle to the Gentiles" and started proselytizing among the Gentiles. He persuaded the leaders of the Jerusalem Church to allow Gentile converts exemption from most Jewish commandments at the Council of Jerusalem, which may parallel Noahide Law in Rabbinic Judaism. Though Paul's influence on Christian thinking is said to be more significant than any other New Testament author, the relationship of Paul of Tarsus and Judaism is still disputed today. After the Destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70, or at the latest the Bar Kokhba revolt of 132, Jerusalem ceased to be the center of the Christian church, its bishops became "suffragans" (subordinates) of the Metropolitan bishop of Caesarea. In the 2nd century, Christianity established itself as a predominantly Gentile religion that spanned the Roman Empire and beyond.
Significance
The apostolic period between the years 30 and 100 produced writings
attributed to the direct followers of Jesus Christ. The period is
traditionally associated with the apostles, apostolic times and
apostolic writings. The New Testament books were connected by the early church
to the apostles, though modern liberal scholarship has cast doubt on
the authorship of most New Testament books. In the traditional history
of the Christian church, the Apostolic Age was the foundation upon which
the entire church's history is founded.
The Apostolic Age is particularly significant to Restorationism which claims that it represents a purer form of Christianity that should be restored to the church as it exists today.
The unique character of the New Testament writings, and their period
of origin, is highlighted by the paucity of the literary form in later
writing. Once the canon of the New Testament began to take shape,
the style ceased to be used on a regular basis. Non-canonical writings
persisted, but died out within a historically short period of time.
Early patristic literature is dominated by apologetics and makes use of
other literary forms borrowed from non-Christian sources.
Early leaders
The relatives of Jesus lived in Nazareth since the 1st century. Some of them were prominent early Christians. Among those named in the New Testament are his mother and four of his brothers: James, Simeon, Joseph and Jude. According to the Gospels, some of the family were opposed
to the mission and religion of Jesus. The relatives of Jesus were
accorded a special position within the early church, as displayed by the
leadership of James in Jerusalem.
According to 19th century German theologian F. C. Baur early Christianity was dominated by the conflict between Peter who was law observant and Paul who advocated partial or even complete freedom from the law.
Later findings contradicted this theory. The allegedly continuous
conflict was not supported by the available evidence. However, theological conflict between Paul and Peter is recorded in the New Testament and was widely discussed in the early church. Marcion and his followers stated that the polemic against false apostles in Galatians was aimed at Peter, James and John, the "Pillars of the Church", as well as the "false" gospels circulating through the churches at the time. Irenaeus and Tertullian
argued against Marcionism's elevation of Paul and stated that Peter and
Paul were equals among the apostles. Passages from Galatians were used
to show that Paul respected Peter's office and acknowledged a shared
faith.
Scholar James D. G. Dunn has proposed that Peter was the "bridge-man" between the two other prominent leaders: Paul and James the Just:
- "For Peter was probably in fact and effect the bridge-man (pontifex maximus!) who did more than any other to hold together the diversity of first-century Christianity. James the brother of Jesus and Paul, the two other most prominent leading figures in first-century Christianity, were too much identified with their respective "brands" of Christianity, at least in the eyes of Christians at the opposite ends of this particular spectrum. But Peter, as shown particularly by the Antioch episode in Gal 2, had both a care to hold firm to his Jewish heritage, which Paul lacked, and an openness to the demands of developing Christianity, which James lacked. John might have served as such a figure of the center holding together the extremes, but if the writings linked with his name are at all indicative of his own stance he was too much of an individualist to provide such a rallying point. Others could link the developing new religion more firmly to its founding events and to Jesus himself. But none of them, including the rest of the twelve, seem to have played any role of continuing significance for the whole sweep of Christianity—though James the brother of John might have proved an exception had he been spared."
Ancient Israelite background
According to most scholars, Early Christianity was an ancient Israelite eschatological faith. The Book of Acts reports that the early followers continued daily Temple attendance and traditional Jewish home prayer. Other passages in the New Testament gospels reflect a similar observance of traditional Israelite piety such as fasting, reverence for the Torah (commonly translated as "the Law" in English translations of the Bible) and observance of holy days. The earliest form of Jesus' religion is best understood in this context. However, there was great diversity in local variations,
as each succeeded or failed in different ways. Jesus Christ was born to
a women of ethnic Israelite stock, proclaimed to be the son of Yahweh and accepted as the Messiah of the Israelites by his disciples. Some modernist proponents of higher criticism in the West have since the 19th century attempted to claim that regardless of how one interprets the mission of Jesus, that he must be understood in context as a 1st century "Palestinian Jew": however this claim is not traditionally the central focus in Catholic and Orthodox Christianity.
Religious climate
The religious climate of 1st century Judea was quite diverse with
numerous variations of Judaic doctrine, many attempts to establish an
ideal holy community and divergent ideas about Israel's future hopes.
Modern scholars place normative Rabbinic Judaism after the time of Jesus
Christ, see also School of Jamnia. The Pharisees were but one sect and did not have the overwhelming influence in 1st century Judea traditionally attributed to them. The ancient historian Josephus noted four prominent groups in the Judaism of the time: Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes and Zealots. Jesus dealt with a variety of sects, most prominently discussing the Law with Pharisees and debating about bodily resurrection with the Sadducees. Jesus also directly associated with John the Baptist, who is often associated with the Essenes.
Relationship with the Essenes
Scholars such as James Tabor state that Essenes and early Christians had a number of similar beliefs. The Essenes practised baptism, believed in a New Covenant, were messianic and believed themselves a remnant of the faithful preparing the way for the reign of God's glory. They called their group by names that would later be used by Christians, such as The Way and the Saints. Jesus preached a number of doctrines similar to Essene Halacha. They followed a charismatic leader who was opposed and possibly killed at the instigation of the Pharisees. John the Baptist seems to have risen out of this context.
Some scholars, such as Carsten Peter Thiede, dispute this presentation. Early Christian leaders did not have to visit Qumran
to have heard of Essene beliefs and read their texts. The various
Jewish groups, including Christians and Essenes, were interconnected and
simultaneously adopted some practices and beliefs while rejecting
others. While some similarities exist, there are many differences and
similar parallels can be also drawn between the early Christians and
Pharisees, and other sects. Many features of Christian faith have no
parallels in the texts from Qumran, and some that do are fundamentally
distinct from Essene practices and beliefs. Notably, John's act of
penitent baptism bears little resemblance to the daily baptismal ritual
of the Essenes.
First Gentile converts
The Roman centurion Cornelius of Caesarea Maritima is traditionally considered the first Gentile convert. His conversion, as documented in Acts 10, carries great significance. Cornelius was referenced by both Peter and James in arguing for the inclusion of Gentiles in the Council of Jerusalem.
His conversion is broadly considered to have been the beginning of a
broader mission to the Gentiles, who would come to eclipse ethnic
Israelites among Christians.
The story of Cornelius' conversion is thematically connected with, and parallels, the conversion stories of the Samaritans, Paul of Tarsus and an Ethiopian eunuch in Luke-Acts. The Ethiopian was an outsider and castrated, whose presence in worship assembly would have been prohibited under the Mosaic law (Deut 23:1). This is consistent with the theme of Luke, advocating a "universal" faith and mission.
Ethiopia was considered in antiquity to be the southernmost end of the
world. Thus, the Ethiopian's conversion can also be interpreted as a
partial fulfillment of the mission presented in Acts 1 to bring the Gospel to the "ends of the earth".
Some scholars assert that the Ethiopian eunuch was the first Gentile
convert, stating that those resisting this conclusion are doing so to
preserve the traditional interpretation of Cornelius as the first
convert. Regardless of the primacy of either convert, this episode
relates Luke's view of how (through Phillip) the Gospel reached the "ends of the earth" and the mission to the Gentiles was initiated.
Apostolic Church in Jerusalem
In 66, various sects in Judea revolted against Rome. Rome besieged Jerusalem for four years, and the city fell in 70. The city was destroyed, including the massive Temple, and the population was mostly killed or removed. Though, according to Epiphanius of Salamis, the Cenacle survived at least to Hadrian's visit in 130. A scattered population survived. Traditionally it is believed the Jerusalem Christians waited out the Jewish–Roman wars in Pella in the Decapolis. The Sanhedrin (of Judaism) reformed in Jamnia.[Prophecies of the Second Temple's destruction are found in the synoptics, and are part of the argument for Supersessionism. After the Bar Kokhba revolt, Hadrian barred all the rabbinic Jews from Jerusalem which was renamed Aelia Capitolina, hence the subsequent Jerusalem bishops were gentiles. Jerusalem received special recognition in Canon VII of Nicaea in 325, without yet becoming a metropolitan see, and was later named as one of the Pentarchy, but the later was never accepted by the Church of Rome.
Deaths of the Twelve Apostles
Christian tradition has generally passed down that all but one were martyred, with John surviving into old age. Only the death of James, son of Zebedee
is described in the New Testament, and the details of the other deaths
are the subject of pious legends of varying authenticity. In some cases
there is near unanimity in the tradition, and in other cases, there are
widely varying and inconsistent accounts.
Judas Iscariot, originally one of the Twelve, died during Jesus'
trial. Matthew 27:5 says that he hanged himself, and Acts 1:18 says that
he fell, burst open, and his "bowels gushed out." Matthias was elected
to take his place as one of the Twelve.
According to Christian tradition, Original Twelve picked by Jesus:
- Peter, crucified upside-down in Rome c. AD 64.
- James, son of Zebedee was beheaded in AD 44, first of the Twelve to die (since the addition of Matthias)
- John, son of Zebedee, no biblical record of death, he is believed to have died of natural causes due to old age. Members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that John was immortalized and he will live to see the Second Coming of Christ.
- Andrew, Peter's brother, was crucified upon a diagonal or X-shaped cross.
- Philip was crucified in AD 54.
- Bartholomew (also known as Nathaniel) was flayed alive (skinned) and then beheaded; some sources locate his death at Derbend on the Caspian Sea.
- Matthew killed by an axe in AD 60.
- Thomas was killed by a spear in Mylapore, Madras, India in AD 72.
- James, son of Alphaeus, stoned at age 90 then clubbed to death.
- Jude was clubbed to death then beheaded
- Simon the Zealot was sawn in half in AD 74.
- Judas Iscariot, according to Matthew, hanged himself after betraying Jesus. In Acts, he is described as falling in a field and bursting open. Apologists explain this apparent discrepancy by presuming that he decayed on the tree resulting in a bloating with gas and a weakening of the skin. Then when he was let down from the tree he burst open upon impact. A third account by Papias records Judas "walking the world", his body having become swollen before being crushed by a chariot." "
Replacement for Judas Iscariot picked by the surviving eleven:
- Matthias, Judas' replacement, was stoned and beheaded.
References
- Brown, Schuyler. The Origins of Christianity: A Historical Introduction to the New Testament. Oxford University Press (1993). ISBN 0-19-826207-8.
- Dunn, James D.G. Unity and Diversity in the New Testament: An Inquiry into the Character of Earliest Christianity. SCM Press (2006). ISBN 0-334-02998-8.
- Ehrman, Bart D. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why. HarperCollins (2005). ISBN 0-06-073817-0.
- Keck, Leander E. Paul and His Letters. Fortress Press (1988). ISBN 0-8006-2340-1.
- McGrath, Alister E. Christianity: An Introduction. Blackwell Publishing (2006). ISBN 1-4051-0899-1.
- Pelikan, Jaroslav Jan. The Christian Tradition: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100–600). University of Chicago Press (1975). ISBN 0-226-65371-4.
- Tabor, James D. "Ancient Judaism: Nazarenes and Ebionites", The Jewish Roman World of Jesus. Department of Religious Studies; University of North Carolina at Charlotte (1998).
- Taylor, Joan E. Christians and the Holy Places: The Myth of Jewish-Christian Origins. Oxford University Press (1993). ISBN 0-19-814785-6.
- Thiede, Carsten Peter. The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Jewish Origins of Christianity. Palgrabe Macmillan (2003). ISBN 1-4039-6143-3.
- White, L. Michael. From Jesus to Christianity. HarperCollins (2004). ISBN 0-06-052655-6.
- Wylen, Stephen M. The Jews in the Time of Jesus: An Introduction. Paulist Press (1995). ISBN 0-8091-3610-4.
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Book 5, Chapter 6
The Mystical City of God, The Divine History and
Life of The Virgin Mother of God
BAPTISM OF CHRIST. HIS FAST. CALLING OF THE APOSTLES. MINISTRY. MARY'S DOINGS DURING THESE
EVENTS.
Leaving his beloved Mother in the poor dwelling at Nazareth,
our Redeemer, without accompaniment of any human creature, but altogether taken
up with the exercise of his most ardent charity, pursued his journey to the
Jordan, where, in the neighborhood of a town called Bethany, otherwise called
Betharaba, on the farther side of the river, his Precursor was preaching and
baptizing. At the first steps from the house, our Redeemer, raising his eyes to
the eternal Father, offered up to Him anew with an infinite love, whatever He
was now about to begin for the salvation of mankind: his labors, sorrows,
passion and death of the Cross, assumed for them in obedience to the eternal
Will, the natural grief at parting as a true and loving Son from his Mother and
at leaving her sweet company, which for twenty-nine years He had now enjoyed.
The Lord of all creation walked alone, without show and ostentation of human
retinue. The supreme King of kings and Lord of lords (Apoc. 19, 16), was unknown
and despised by his own vassals, vassals so much his own, that they owed their
life and preservation entirely to Him. His royal outfit was nothing but the
utmost poverty and destitution.
While proceeding on his way to the Jordan our Savior
dispensed his ancient mercies by relieving the necessities of body and soul in
many of those whom He encountered at different places. Yet this was always done
in secret; for before his Baptism He gave no public token of his divine power
and his exalted office. Before appearing at the Jordan, He filled the heart of
saint John with new light and joy, which changed and elevated his soul.
Perceiving these new workings of grace within himself, he reflected upon them
full of wonder, saying: "What mystery is this? What presentiments of
happiness? From the moment when I recognized the presence of my Lord in the womb
of my mother, I have not felt such stirring of my soul as now! Is it possible
that He is now happily come, or that the Savior of the world is now near
me?" Upon this enlightenment of the Baptist followed an intellectual
vision, wherein he perceived with greater clearness the mystery of the
hypostatic union of the person of the Word with the humanity and other mysteries
of the Redemption. In the fulness of this intellectual light he gave the
testimonies, which are recorded by saint John in his Gospel and which occurred
while the Lord was in the desert and afterwards, when He returned to the banks
of the Jordan. The Evangelist mentions one of these public testimonies as
happening at the interpellation of the Jews, and the other when the Precursor
exclaimed: "Behold the lamb of God," as I shall narrate later
on (John 1, 36). Although the Baptist had been instructed in great mysteries,
when he was commanded to go forth to preach and baptize; yet all of them were
manifested to him anew and with greater clearness and abundance on this
occasion, and he was then notified that the Savior of the world was coming to be
baptized.
The Lord then joined the multitude and asked Baptism of saint
John as one of the rest. The Baptist knew Him and, falling at his feet,
hesitated, saying: "I have need of being baptized, and Thou, Lord, askest
Baptism of me?" as is recorded by saint Matthew. But the Savior answered:
"Suffer it to be so now. For so it becometh us to fulfill all
justice."
When saint John had finished baptizing our Lord, the heavens
opened and the Holy Ghost descended visibly in the form of a dove upon his head
and the voice of his Father was heard: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased" (Matth. 3, 17). Many of the bystanders heard this voice,
namely, those who were not worthy of such a wonderful favor; they also saw the
Holy Ghost descending upon the Savior. This was the most convincing proof which
could ever be given of the Divinity of the Savior, as well on the part of the
Father, who acknowledged Him his Son, as also in to the nature of the testimony
given; for without any reserve was Christ manifested as the true God, equal to
his eternal Father in substance and in perfection. The Father himself wished to
be the first to testify to the Divinity of Christ in order that by virtue of his
testimony all the other witnesses might be ratified. There was also another
mystery in this voice of the eternal Father: it was as it were a restoration of
the honor or Son before the world and a recompense for his having thus
humiliated Himself by receiving the Baptism of the remission of sins, though He
was entirely free from fault and never could have upon Him the guilt of (Heb. 7,
26).
Let us return now to the main subject of this history,
namely, to the occupations of our great Queen and Lady. As soon as her most holy
Son was baptized, although She knew by the divine light of his movements, the
holy angels who had attended upon their Lord brought Her intelligence of all
that had happened at the Jordan; they were those that carried the ensigns or
shields of the passion of the Savior, as described in the first part. To
celebrate all these mysteries of Christ's Baptism and the public proclamation of
his Divinity, the most prudent Mother composed new hymns and canticle of praise
and of incomparable thanksgiving to the Most High and to the incarnate Word. All
his actions of humility and prayers She imitated, exerting Herself by many acts
of her own to accompany and follow Him in all of them. With ardent charity She
interceded for men, that they might profit by the sacrament of Baptism and that
it might be administered all over the world. In addition to these prayers and
hymns of thanksgiving, She asked the heavenly courtiers to help Her in
magnifying her most holy Son for having thus humiliated Himself in receiving
Baptism at the hands of one of his creatures.
Without delay Christ our Lord pursued his journey from the
Jordan to the desert after his Baptism. Only his holy angels attended and
accompanied Him, serving and worshipping Him, singing the divine praises on
account of what He was now about to undertake for the salvation of mankind. He
came to the place chosen by Him for his fast: a desert spot among bare and
beetling rocks, where there was also a cavern much concealed. Here He halted,
choosing it for his habitation during the days of his fast (Matth. 4, 1). In
deepest humility He prostrated Himself upon the ground which was always the
prelude of his prayer and that of his most blessed Mother. He praised the
eternal Father and gave Him thanks for the works of his divine right hand and
for having according to his pleasure afforded Him this retirement. In a suitable
manner He thanked even this desert for accepting his presence and keeping Him
hidden from the world during the time He was to spend there. He continued his
prayers prostrate in the form of a cross, this was his most frequent occupation
in the desert; for in this manner He often prayed to the eternal Father for the
salvation of men.
After the Savior had begun his fast He persevered therein
without eating anything for forty days, offering his fast to the eternal Father
as a satisfaction for the disorder and sins to which men are drawn by the so
vile and debasing, yet so common and even esteemed vice of gluttony. Just as our
Lord overcame this vice so He also vanquished all the rest, and He made
recompense to the eternal Judge and supreme Legislator for the injuries
perpetrated through these vices by men. According to the enlightenment
vouchsafed to me, our Savior, in order to assume the office of Preacher and
Teacher and to become our Mediator and Redeemer before the Father, thus
vanquished all the vices of mortals and He satisfied the offenses committed
through them by the exercises of the virtues contrary to them, just as He did in
regard to gluttony. Although He continued this exercise during all his life with
the most ardent charity, yet during his fast He directed in a special manner all
his efforts toward this purpose.
A loving Father, whose sons have committed great crimes for
which they are to endure the most horrible punishment, sacrifices all his
possessions in order ward off their impending fate: so our most loving Father
and Brother, Jesus Christ, wished to pay our debts. In satisfaction for our
pride He offered his profound humility; for our avarice, his voluntary poverty
and total privation of all that was his; for our base and lustful inclinations,
his penance and austerity; for our hastiness and vengeful anger, his meekness
and charity toward his enemies; for our negligence and laziness, his ceaseless
labors; for our deceitfulness and our envy, his candid and upright sincerity and
truthfulness and the sweetness of his loving interactions. In this manner He
continued to appease the just Judge and solicited pardon for us disobedient and
bastard children; and He not only obtained this pardon for them, but He merited
for them new graces and favors, so that they might make themselves worthy of his
company and of the vision of his Father and his own inheritance for all
eternity. Though He could have obtained all this for us by the most
insignificant of his works; yet He acted not like we. He demonstrated his love
so abundantly, that our ingratitude and hardness of heart will have no excuse.
In order to keep informed of the doings of our Savior the
most blessed Mary needed no other assistance than her continual visions and
revelations; but in addition to all these, She made use of the service of her
holy angels, whom She sent to her divine Son. The Lord himself thus ordered it,
in order that, by means of these faithful messengers, both He and She might
rejoice in the sentiments and thoughts of their inmost hearts faithfully
rehearsed by these celestial messengers; and thus They each heard the very same
words as uttered by Each, although both Son and Mother already knew them in
another way. As soon as the great Lady understood that our Redeemer was on the
way to the desert to fulfill his intention, She locked the doors of her
dwelling, without letting any one know of her presence; and her retirement
during the time of our Lord's fast was so complete, that her neighbors thought
that She had left with her divine Son. She entered into her
oratory and remained there for forty days and nights without ever leaving it and
without eating anything, just as She knew was done by her most holy Son. Both of
them observed the same course of rigorous fasting. In all his prayers and
exercises, his prostrations and genuflections She followed our Savior, not
omitting any of them; moreover She performed them just at the same time; for,
leaving aside all other occupations, She thus profited by the information
obtained from the angels and by that other knowledge, which I have already
described. Whether He was present or not, She knew the interior operations of
the soul of Christ. All his bodily movements, which She had been wont to
perceive with her own senses, She now knew by intellectual vision or through her
holy angels.
While the Savior was in the desert He made every day three
hundred genuflections, which also was done by our Queen Mary in her oratory; the
other portion of her time She spent in composing hymns with the angels, as I
have said in the last chapter. Thus imitating Christ the Lord, the Holy Queen
co-operated with Him in all his prayers and petitions, gaining the same
victories over the vices, and on her part proportionately satisfying for them by
her virtues and her exertions. Thus it happened, that, while Christ as our
Redeemer gained for us so many blessings and abundantly paid all our debts, most
holy Mary, as his Helper and our Mother, lent us her merciful intercession and
became our Mediatrix to the fullest extent possible to a mere creature.
Christ the Savior permitted Lucifer to remain under the false
impression, that He was a mere human creature though very holy and just; He
wished to raise his courage and malice for the contest, for such is the effect
of any advantages espied by the devil in his attacks upon the victims of his
temptations. Rousing his courage by his own arrogance, he began this battle in
the wilderness with greater prowess and fierceness than the demons ever
exhibited in their battles with men. Lucifer and his satellites strained all
their power and malice, lashing themselves into fury against the superior
strength which they soon found in Christ our Lord. Yet our Savior tempered all
his actions with divine wisdom and goodness, and in justice and equity concealed
the secret source of his infinite power, exhibiting just so much as would
suffice to prove Him to be a man so far advanced in holiness as to be able to
gain these victories against the infernal foes. In order to begin the battle as
man, He directed a prayer to the eternal Father from his inmost soul, to which
the intelligence of the demon could not penetrate, saying: "My Father and
eternal God, I now enter into battle with the enemy in order to crush his power
and humble his pride and his malice against my beloved souls. For thy glory, and
for the benefit of souls I submit to the daring presumption of Lucifer. I wish
thereby to crush his head in order that when mortals are attacked by his
temptations without their fault, they may find his arrogance already broken. I
beseech Thee, my Father, to remember my battle and victory in favor of mortals
assailed by the common enemy. Strengthen their weakness through my
triumph, let them obtain victory; let them be encouraged by my example, and let
them learn from Me how to resist and overcome their enemies.
During this battle the holy angels that attended upon Christ
were hidden from the sight of Lucifer, in order that he might not begin to
understand and suspect the divine power of our Savior. The holy spirits gave
glory and praise to the Father and the Holy Ghost, who rejoiced in the works of
the incarnate Word. The most blessed Virgin also from her oratory witnessed the
battle in the manner to be described below. The temptation of Christ
began on the thirty-fifth day of his fast in the desert, and lasted to the end
of the fast, as related by the Evangelists. Lucifer assumed the shape of a man
and presented himself before the Lord as a stranger, who had never seen or known
Him before. He clothed himself in refulgent light, like that of an angel, and
conjecturing that the Lord after his long fast must be suffering great hunger,
he said to Him: "If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be
made bread (Matth. 4, 3). By thus cunningly resting his advice on the
supposition of his being the Son of God, the demon sought some information on
what was giving him the greatest concern. But the Savior of the world answered
only in these few words: "Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every
word that proceedeth from mouth of God."
Lucifer found himself repulsed by the force or answer and by
the hidden power which accompanied it; but he wished to show no weakness, nor
desist from the contest. The Lord allowed the demon to continue in his
temptation and for this purpose permitted Himself carried by the devil bodily to
Jerusalem and to be placed on the pinnacle of the temple. Here the Lord could
see multitudes of people, though He himself was not seen by anybody. Lucifer
tried to arouse in the Lord, the vain desire of casting Himself down from this
high place, so that the crowds of men, seeing Him unhurt, might proclaim Him as
a great and wonderful man of God. Again using the words of the holy Scriptures,
he said to Him: "If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down, for it is
written (Ps. 90, 11): that He hath given his angels charge over Thee, and in
their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest perhaps Thou dash thy foot against a
stone" (Matth. 4, 6). The heavenly spirits who accompanied their King, were
full of wonder that He should permit Lucifer to carry Him bodily in his hands,
solely for the benefit of mortal man. With the prince of darkness were gathered
innumerable demons; for on that occasion hell was almost emptied of its
inhabitants in order to furnish assistance for this enterprise. The Author of
wisdom answered: "It is also written: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy
God" (Deut. 6, 16). While giving these answers the Redeemer of the world
exhibited a matchless meekness, profoundest humility, and a majesty so superior
to all the attempts of satan, as was of itself alone sufficient to crush
Lucifer's arrogance and to cause him torments and confusion never felt before.
Being thus foiled, he attacked our Lord in still another way,
seeking to rouse his ambition by offering Him some share in his dominion. For
this purpose he took the Lord upon a high mount, from whence could be seen many
lands, and said to Him with perfidious daring: "All these will I give to
Thee, if falling down, Thou wilt adore me" (Matth. 4, 9). Exorbitant
boldness, and more than insane madness and perfidy! Offering to the Lord what he
did not possess, nor ever could give, since the earth, the stars, the kingdoms,
principalities, riches and treasures, all belong to the Lord, and He alone can
give or withhold them when it serves and pleases Him! Never can Lucifer give
anything, even not of the things of the earth, and therefore all his promises
are false. The King and Lord answered with imperial majesty: "Begone, satan,
for it is written: The Lord thy God thou shalt adore, and Him only shalt thou
serve." By this command, "Begone satan," Christ the Redeemer took
away from Lucifer permission further to tempt Him, and hurled him and all his
legions into the deepest abysses of hell. There they found themselves entirely
crushed and buried in its deepest caverns, unable to move for three days. When
they were permitted again to rise, seeing themselves thus vanquished and
annihilated, they began to doubt whether He, who had so overwhelmed them, might
not be the incarnate Son of God. In this doubt and uncertainty they remained,
without ever being able to come to certain conviction until the death of the
Savior. Lucifer was overcome by hellish wrath at his defeat and was almost
consumed in his fury.
Our divine Conqueror Christ then sang hymns of praise and
thanks to the eternal Father for having given Him this triumph over the common
enemy of God and man; and amid the triumphal songs of a multitude of angels, He
was borne back to the desert. They carried Him in their hands, although He had
not need of their help, since He could make use of his own divine power; but
this service of the angels was due to Him in recompense for enduring the
audacity of Lucifer in carrying to the pinnacle of the temple and to the
mountaintop the sacred humanity of Christ, in which dwelt substantially and
truly the Divinity itself. It would never have entered into the thoughts of man,
that the Lord should give such a permission to satan, if it had been made known
to us in the Gospels.
Let us return to Nazareth, where, in her oratory, the
Princess of the angels had witnessed the battles of her most holy Son. She had
seen them all by the divine light already described and by the uninterrupted
messages of her angels, who brought them back and forth between the Savior and
the blessed Queen. She repeated the same prayers as the Lord and at the same
time! She entered likewise into the conflict with the dragon, though invisibly
and spiritually. From her retreat She anathemized and crushed Lucifer and his
followers co-operating in all the doings of Christ in our favor. When She
perceived that the demon carried the Lord from place to place, She wept
bitterly, because the malice of sin reduced the King of kings to such misusage.
In honor of all the victories, which He gained over the devil, She composed
hymns of praise to the Divinity and the most holy humanity of Christ, while the
angels set them to music and were sent with them to congratulate Him for the
blessings won for the human race. Christ on his part sent back the angels with
words of sweet consolation and rejoicing on account of his triumphs over
Lucifer.
The Master directed his most faithful steps toward the
Jordan, where his great Precursor saint John was still preaching and baptizing.
By his presence and appearance there He wished to secure new testimony of his
mission and Divinity through the mouth of saint John. Moreover He was drawn by
his own love to see and speak with him, for during his Baptism the heart of the
Precursor had become inflamed and wounded by the divine love of the Savior,
which so resistlessly attracted all creatures. In the hearts which were well
disposed, as was that of saint John, the fire of love burned with so much the
greater ardor and violence. When the Baptist saw the Savior coming to him the
second time, his first words were those recorded by the Evangelist: "Behold
the Lamb of God, behold Him who taketh away the sin of the world." Saint
John gave this testimony while pointing out the Lord with his finger to those
who were listening to his instructions and were receiving Baptism at his hands.
He added: "This is He of whom I said: after me there cometh a Man, who is
preferred before me; because He was before me. And I knew Him not; but that He
may be made manifest in Israel, therefore I am come baptizing with water."
The two first disciples of Christ who were with saint John at
the time, heard this testimony and, moved by it and by the light and grace
interiorly imparted to them began to follow the Lord. Benignantly turning to
them the Lord asked them, what they sought (John 1, 38). They answered that they
wished to know where He lived; and the Lord bade them follow. They were with him
that day as saint John tells us. One of them, he says, was saint Andrew, the
brother of saint Peter; the other he does not mention. But I was made to
understand that it was saint John himself, who in his great modesty, did not
wish to give his name. These two, then, saint John and saint Andrew, were the
first of the Baptist's apostolate, being the first of the disciples of
the Baptist who followed the Savior in consequence of his express testimony and
without being outwardly called by the Lord. Saint Andrew immediately sought his
brother Simon and took him along, saying that he had found the Messias, who
called Himself Christ. Looking upon Peter He said: "Thou art the son of
Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter." All this
happened within the confines of Judea and on the next day the Lord entered
Galilee. There He found saint Philip and called him to his following. Philip
immediately sought Nathanael and brought him to Jesus, telling him what had
happened and that they had found the Messias in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth.
Nathanael, having spoken with the Lord as recorded in the first chapter of saint
John's Gospel, joined as the fifth of the disciples of Christ.
With these five disciples, the first stones in the foundation
of the new Church, Christ, the Savior, entered Galilee for the purpose of
beginning his public preaching and baptizing. In the Apostles thus called He
enkindled, from the moment of their joining the Master, a new light and fire of
divine love and showered upon them the sweetness of his blessings (Ps. 20, 4).
It is not possible worthily to describe the labors undergone by the divine
Teacher in the vocation and education of these and of the other disciples, in
order to found upon them the Church. He sought them out with great diligence and
solicitude; He urged them on frequently by the powerful and efficacious help of
his grace; He enlightened their hearts and enriched them with incomparable gifts
and blessings; He received them with admirable kindness; He nourished them with
the sweetest milk of his doctrines; He bore with them with invincible patience;
He caressed them as a most loving Father caresses his tender and darling sons.
As our nature is base and uncouth material for the exalted and exquisite
aspirations of the Spirit, and as they were to not only perfect disciples, but
consummate masters of perfection in the world and in the Church, the work of
transforming and raising them from their rough natural state into such a
heavenly and divine position by his instructions and example, necessarily was a
vast enterprise. In the performance of this work the Lord has left a most
exalted example of patience, and charity for all the prelates, princes and
whoever is charged with the guidance of subjects. Not less significant for us
sinners are the proofs of his fatherly kindness: for He was not satisfied with
simply bearing with their faults and defects, their natural inclinations and
passions but He allowed his tender kindness to overflow thus wonderfully toward
them, in order that we might be cheered on to trust Him and not permit ourselves
to be dismayed amidst the countless imperfections and weaknesses natural to our
earthly existence.
By the means already mentioned the Queen of heaven was
informed of all the wonderful doings of our Savior in the vocation of the
Apostles and disciples and in his public preaching. She gave thanks to the
eternal Father for these the first disciples, acknowledging and admitting them
in imitation of her Son as her spiritual children, and offering them to the
divine Majesty with new songs of praise and joy. On this occasion of the choice
of the first disciples She was favored by a new revelation of the Most High in
which She was informed again of his holy and eternal decree concerning the
Redemption of man and of the manner in which it was to be executed in the
preaching of his most holy Son.
The five disciples of the Lord begged Him to grant them the
consolation of seeing and reverencing his mother. In accordance with their
petition, He journeyed directly to Nazareth through Galilee, continuing to
preach and teach publicly on the way and proclaiming Himself as the Master of
truth and eternal life. Many, carried away by the force of his doctrines and by
the light and grace overflowing into their hearts, began to listen to Him and to
follow Him; though He did not, for the present, call any more to be his
disciples. It is worthy of notice that though the five disciples had conceived
such an ardent devotion to the heavenly Lady and though they saw with their own
eyes how worthy She was of her eminent position among creatures, yet they all
maintained strict silence about their thoughts.
The Savior then pursued his way to Nazareth instructing his
new children and disciples not only the mysteries of faith, but in all virtues
by word and example, as He continued to do during the whole period of his
evangelical preaching. With this in view He searched out the poor and afflicted,
consoled the sick and sorrowful, visited the infirmaries and prisons, performing
miracles of mercy as well for body as for soul. Yet He did not profess Himself
as the Author of miracles until he attended the marriage feast at Cana as I
shall relate in the next chapter. While the Savior proceeded on his journey his
most holy Mother prepared to receive him and his disciples at Nazareth; for She
was aware of all that happened, and therefore hospitably set her poor dwelling
in order and solicitously procured the necessary victuals beforehand for their
entertainment. Thus, just as the Son had in absence instilled into their minds
the reverence for the dignity of his Mother, so the most prudent and faithful
Mother, in the presence of her Son, wished to instruct them in regard to the
worship due to their divine Master, as to their God and Redeemer. The profound
humility and worship with which the great Lady received Christ the Savior filled
the disciples with new devotion and reverential fear for their divine Master;
henceforth She served them as an example and model of true devotion, entering at
once into her office as Instructress and spiritual Mother of the disciples of
Christ by showing then how to converse with their God and Redeemer. They were
immediately drawn toward their Queen and cast themselves on their knees before
Her, asking to be received as her sons and servants. The first to do this was
saint John, who from that time on distinguished himself in exalting and
reverencing Mary before all the apostles, while She on her part received him
with an especial love; for, besides his excelling in virginal chastity, he was
of a meek and humble disposition.
The great Lady received them all as her guests, serving them
their meals and combining the solicitude of a Mother with the modesty and
majesty of a Queen, so that She caused admiration even in the holy angels. She
served her divine Son on her knees in deepest reverence. At the same time She
spoke of the Majesty of their Teacher and Redeemer to the Apostles instructing
them in the great doctrines of the Christian faith. During that night, when the
Apostles had retired, the Savior betook himself to the oratory of his purest
Mother as He had been wont to do, and She, the most Humble among the humble,
placed Herself at his feet as in the years gone by. In regard to the practice of
humility, all that She could do seemed little to the great Queen, and much less
than She ought to in view of his infinite love and the immense gifts received at
his hands. She confessed Herself as useless as the dust of the earth. The Lord
lifted Her from the ground and spoke to Her words of life and eternal salvation,
yet quietly and serenely. For at this period He began to treat Her with greater
reserve in order to afford Her a chance of merit, as I have mentioned when I
spoke of this departure for the desert and for his Baptism.
WORDS OF THE QUEEN. (The Virgin Mary speaks to Sister Mary of
Agreda, Spain.)
My daughter, I see thee much moved to emulation and desire by
the great happiness of the disciples of my most holy Son, and especially that of
saint John, my favored servant. It is certain that I loved him in a special
manner; because he was most pure and candid as a dove; and in the eyes of the
Lord he was very pleasing, both on account of his purity and on account of his
love toward me. His example should serve thee as a spur to do that which my Son
and I expect of thee. Thou art aware, my dearest, that I am the most pure Mother
and that I receive with maternal affection those who fervently and devoutly
desire to be my children and servants in the Lord. By the love which He has
given me, I shall embrace them with open arms and shall be their Intercessor and
Advocate. Thy poverty, uselessness and weakness shall be for me only a more
urgent motive for manifesting toward thee my most liberal kindness.
Therefore, I call upon thee to become my chosen and beloved daughter in the holy
Church.
I shall, however, make the fulfillment of my promise depend
upon a service on thy part: namely, that thou have a true and holy emulation of
the love with which I loved saint John, and of all the blessings flowing from
it, by imitating him as perfectly as thy powers will allow. Hence, thou must
promise to fulfill all that I now command thee, without failing in the least
point. I desire, then, that thou labor until all love of self die within thee,
that thou suppress all the effects of the first sin until all the earthly
inclinations consequent upon it are totally extinguished; that thou seek to
restore within thee that dove-like sincerity and simplicity which destroys all
malice and duplicity. In all thy doings thou must be an angel, since the
condescension of the Most High with thee was so great as to furnish thee with
the light and intelligence more of an angel than that of a human creature. I
have procured for thee these great blessings and, therefore, it is but
reasonable on my part to expect thee to correspond with them in thy works and in
thy thoughts. In regard to me thou must cherish a continual affection and loving
desire of pleasing and serving me, being always attentive to my counsels and
having thy eyes fixed upon me in order to know and execute what I command. Then
shalt thou be my true daughter, and I shall be thy Protectress and loving
Mother.
- The Mystical City of God. Venerable Mother Mary of Jesus of Agreda (1602—1665). The Mystical City of God is a monumental four-volume, 2,676-page history of the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as revealed by Our Lady to this 17th century Spanish nun.
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