Ministry, Daniel 3:14-20, Daniel 3:52-56, John 8:31-42, Pope Frances Daily Activity, St Photine, Water of Life Discourse, The Mystical City of God, The Divine History and Life of The Virgin Mother of God - Book 5:5 THE BLESSED MOTHER OFFERS HER SON AS VICTIM TO THE ETERNAL FATHER; JESUS DEPARTS FROM NAZARETH., Catholic Catechism Part Two Section 1 The Sacramental Economy
Good Day Bloggers! Wishing everyone a Blessed Week!
Year of Faith - October 11, 2012 - November 24, 2013
P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Serenity Happens). It has a remarkable way of producing solace, peace, patience and tranquility and of course resolution...God's always available 24/7.
The world begins and ends everyday for someone. We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have
flaws but we also all have the gift of knowledge and free will,
make the most of these gifts. Life on earth is a stepping stone 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 Purgatory and/or 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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Prayers for Today: Wednesday in Lent
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Papam Franciscus
(Pope Francis)
POPE ADDRESS TO FRATERNAL DELEGATES:
"YOUR PRESENCE IS A TANGIBLE SIGN OF COOPERATION FOR COMMON GOOD OF HUMANITY"
Vatican City, 20 March 2013 (VIS) – Early this afternoon in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis received fraternal delegates, that is, representative envoys of Churches, Ecclesial Communities, and international ecumenical organizations, as well as representatives of non-Christian Religions, who have come to Rome for the inauguration of his ministry as Bishop of Rome and successor of the Apostle Peter.
On behalf of those present, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, greeted the Pope, recalling the “elevated, serious, and difficult task” that his ministry bears with it. He also reiterated the need for the Churches to shun worldly distractions and to work on the unity between Christians.
Francis, who listened to the words of the Patriarch seated on an armchair rather than the throne that is customarily used in the Clementine Hall, thanked Bartholomew I, calling him “my brother Andrew”, since the patriarchs of Constantinople are considered the successors of the Apostle Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. He then said that, thanks to the presence at yesterday's Mass of representatives of the various communities, he felt “in an even stronger way, the prayer for unity among the believers in Christ and [glimpsed] prefigured in some way, its full realization, which depends on God's plan and our sincere cooperation.”
“I begin my apostolic ministry,” he continued, “in this year that my venerated predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, with a truly inspired intuition, proclaimed the Year of Faith for the Catholic Church. With this initiative, which I wish to continue and which I hope serves as a stimulus for each of us in our journey of faith, he wanted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, proposing a type of pilgrimage to what is essential for every Christian: a personal and transforming relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died and rose again for our salvation. The heart of the Council's message lies precisely in the desire to proclaim this ever-valid treasure of the faith to the persons of our time.”
Francis then recalled the image and words of Pope John XXIII at the opening of the Council: “The Catholic Church considers it her duty to actively work so as to bring about the great mystery of that unity for which Jesus Christ prayed so ardently to His Father in heaven on the eve of his sacrifice.” He continued saying: “Yes, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we all feel intimately joined in our Saviour's prayer at the Last Supper, to his call: 'ut unum sint'. Let us call on our merciful Father that we may fully live that faith that we received as a gift on the day of our Baptism and to be able to witness to it freely, joyfully, and courageously. This will be the best way we can serve the cause of unity among Christians, a service of hope for a world that is still marked by divisions, differences, and rivalries.”
“For my part, I wish to assure you, following in the path of my predecessors, of my firm will to continue on the path of ecumenical dialogue ... I ask you to take my cordial greetings and assurance of my remembrance in the Lord Jesus to the Churches and Christian Communities that you represent here. I also ask of you the kindness of a special prayer for myself, so that I might be a Pastor in harmony with Christ's heart.”
Then, addressing the representatives of the Jewish communities, he emphasized “the very special spiritual bond” that they have with Christians. Quoting the Vatican II declaration Nostra Aetate, he said: “'The Church of Christ acknowledges that ... the beginnings of her faith and her election are found already among the Patriarchs, Moses and the prophets.' … I am confident that, with the help of the Almighty, we can profitably continue that fraternal dialogue that the Council hoped for and that has been carried out, bearing not few fruits, especially over the last few decades.”
The Pope then greeted those belonging to other religious traditions, first of all the Muslims who “adore the one, living, and merciful God and who call upon Him in prayer.” Then, addressing all those gathered, he said: “I really appreciate your presence. In it I see a tangible sign of the desire to grow in mutual respect and cooperation for the common good of humanity.”
“The Catholic Church is aware of the importance of the promotion of friendship and respect between men and women of different religious traditions. I want to repeat this: the promotion of friendship and respect between men and women of different religious traditions.”.. The Church “is also aware of the responsibility that we all bear to this our world, to all of creation, which we should love and protect. And we can do much for the good of the poorest, of the weak and suffering, to promote justice and reconciliation, to build peace. But, above all, we must keep alive the thirst for the Absolute in the world, not allowing a one-dimensional vision of the human person, in which humanity is reduced to that which it produces and consumes, to prevail. This is one of the most dangerous pitfalls of our times.”
“We know how, in recent times, violence has produced an attempt to eliminate God and the divine from the horizon of humanity, and we feel the value of witnessing in our societies to the original openness to the transcendent that is inscribed in the human heart. In this, we also feel close to all men and women who, although not claiming to belong to any religious tradition, still feel themselves to be in search of truth, goodness, and beauty, God's Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, and who are our precious allies in the effort to defend human dignity, in building a peaceful coexistence between peoples, and in carefully protecting creation.”
On behalf of those present, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, greeted the Pope, recalling the “elevated, serious, and difficult task” that his ministry bears with it. He also reiterated the need for the Churches to shun worldly distractions and to work on the unity between Christians.
Francis, who listened to the words of the Patriarch seated on an armchair rather than the throne that is customarily used in the Clementine Hall, thanked Bartholomew I, calling him “my brother Andrew”, since the patriarchs of Constantinople are considered the successors of the Apostle Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. He then said that, thanks to the presence at yesterday's Mass of representatives of the various communities, he felt “in an even stronger way, the prayer for unity among the believers in Christ and [glimpsed] prefigured in some way, its full realization, which depends on God's plan and our sincere cooperation.”
“I begin my apostolic ministry,” he continued, “in this year that my venerated predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, with a truly inspired intuition, proclaimed the Year of Faith for the Catholic Church. With this initiative, which I wish to continue and which I hope serves as a stimulus for each of us in our journey of faith, he wanted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, proposing a type of pilgrimage to what is essential for every Christian: a personal and transforming relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died and rose again for our salvation. The heart of the Council's message lies precisely in the desire to proclaim this ever-valid treasure of the faith to the persons of our time.”
Francis then recalled the image and words of Pope John XXIII at the opening of the Council: “The Catholic Church considers it her duty to actively work so as to bring about the great mystery of that unity for which Jesus Christ prayed so ardently to His Father in heaven on the eve of his sacrifice.” He continued saying: “Yes, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we all feel intimately joined in our Saviour's prayer at the Last Supper, to his call: 'ut unum sint'. Let us call on our merciful Father that we may fully live that faith that we received as a gift on the day of our Baptism and to be able to witness to it freely, joyfully, and courageously. This will be the best way we can serve the cause of unity among Christians, a service of hope for a world that is still marked by divisions, differences, and rivalries.”
“For my part, I wish to assure you, following in the path of my predecessors, of my firm will to continue on the path of ecumenical dialogue ... I ask you to take my cordial greetings and assurance of my remembrance in the Lord Jesus to the Churches and Christian Communities that you represent here. I also ask of you the kindness of a special prayer for myself, so that I might be a Pastor in harmony with Christ's heart.”
Then, addressing the representatives of the Jewish communities, he emphasized “the very special spiritual bond” that they have with Christians. Quoting the Vatican II declaration Nostra Aetate, he said: “'The Church of Christ acknowledges that ... the beginnings of her faith and her election are found already among the Patriarchs, Moses and the prophets.' … I am confident that, with the help of the Almighty, we can profitably continue that fraternal dialogue that the Council hoped for and that has been carried out, bearing not few fruits, especially over the last few decades.”
The Pope then greeted those belonging to other religious traditions, first of all the Muslims who “adore the one, living, and merciful God and who call upon Him in prayer.” Then, addressing all those gathered, he said: “I really appreciate your presence. In it I see a tangible sign of the desire to grow in mutual respect and cooperation for the common good of humanity.”
“The Catholic Church is aware of the importance of the promotion of friendship and respect between men and women of different religious traditions. I want to repeat this: the promotion of friendship and respect between men and women of different religious traditions.”.. The Church “is also aware of the responsibility that we all bear to this our world, to all of creation, which we should love and protect. And we can do much for the good of the poorest, of the weak and suffering, to promote justice and reconciliation, to build peace. But, above all, we must keep alive the thirst for the Absolute in the world, not allowing a one-dimensional vision of the human person, in which humanity is reduced to that which it produces and consumes, to prevail. This is one of the most dangerous pitfalls of our times.”
“We know how, in recent times, violence has produced an attempt to eliminate God and the divine from the horizon of humanity, and we feel the value of witnessing in our societies to the original openness to the transcendent that is inscribed in the human heart. In this, we also feel close to all men and women who, although not claiming to belong to any religious tradition, still feel themselves to be in search of truth, goodness, and beauty, God's Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, and who are our precious allies in the effort to defend human dignity, in building a peaceful coexistence between peoples, and in carefully protecting creation.”
Reference:
- Vatican News. From the Pope. © Copyright 2013 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Accessed 3/20/2013.
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March 18 2013 Message to the World via Annual Apparition to Mirjana:
"Dear children! I call you to, with complete trust and joy, bless the name of the Lord and, day by day, to give Him thanks from the heart for His great love. My Son, through that love which He showed by the Cross, gave you the possibility to be forgiven for everything; so that you do not have to be ashamed or to hide, and out of fear not to open the door of your heart to my Son. To the contrary, my children, reconcile with the Heavenly Father so that you may be able to come to love yourselves as my Son loves you. When you come to love yourselves, you will also love others; in them you will see my Son and recognize the greatness of His love. Live in faith! Through me, my Son is preparing you for the works which He desires to do through you – works through which He desires to be glorified. Give Him thanks. Especially thank Him for the shepherds - for your intercessors in the reconciliation with the Heavenly Father. I am thanking you, my children. Thank you."
March 2, 2013 Message From Our Lady of Medjugorje to World:
“Dear children; Anew, in a motherly way, I am calling you not to be of a hard heart. Do not shut your eyes to the warnings which the Heavenly Father sends to you out of love. Do you love Him above all else? Do you repent for having often forgotten that the Heavenly Father, out of His great love, sent His Son to redeem us by the Cross? Do you repent for not having accepted the message? My children, do not resist the love of my Son. Do not resist hope and peace. Along with your prayers and fasting, by His Cross, my Son will cast away the darkness that wants to surround you and come to rule over you. He will give you the strength for a new life. Living it according to my Son, you will be a blessing and a hope to all those sinners who wander in the darkness of sin. My children, keep vigil. I, as a mother, am keeping vigil with you. I am especially praying and watching over those whom my Son called to be light-bearers and carriers of hope for you – for your shepherds. Thank you.”
February 25, 2013 Message From Our Lady of Medjugorje to World:
“Dear children! Also today I call you to prayer. Sin is pulling you towards worldly things and I have come to lead you towards holiness and the things of God, but you are struggling and spending your energies in the battle with the good and the evil that are in you. Therefore, little children, pray, pray, pray until prayer becomes a joy for you and your life will become a simple walk towards God. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
“Dear children! Also today I call you to prayer. Sin is pulling you towards worldly things and I have come to lead you towards holiness and the things of God, but you are struggling and spending your energies in the battle with the good and the evil that are in you. Therefore, little children, pray, pray, pray until prayer becomes a joy for you and your life will become a simple walk towards God. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
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Today's Word: ministry min·is·try [min-uh-stree]
Origin: 11175–1225; Middle English < Latin ministerium, equivalent to minister minister + -ium -ium
noun, plural min·is·tries.
1. the service, functions, or profession of a minister of religion.
2. the body or class of ministers of religion; clergy.
3. the service, function, or office of a minister of state.
4. the body of ministers of state.
5. ( usually initial capital letter ) any of the administrative governmental departments of certain countries usually under the direction of a minister of state.
6. ( usually initial capital letter ) the building that houses such an administrative department.
7. the term of office of a minister of state.
8. an act or instance of ministering; ministration; service.
9. something that serves as an agency, instrument, or means.
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Today's Old Testament Reading - Daniel 3:52-56
52 May you be blessed, Lord, God of our ancestors, be praised and extolled for ever. Blessed be your glorious and holy name, praised and extolled for ever.
53 May you be blessed in the Temple of your sacred glory, exalted and glorified above all for ever:
54 blessed on the throne of your kingdom, exalted above all, glorified for ever:
55 blessed are you who fathom the abyss, enthroned on the winged creatures, praised and exalted above all for ever:
56 blessed in the expanse of the heavens, exalted and glorified for ever.
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Today's Epistle - Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
14 Nebuchadnezzar addressed them,
'Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, is it true that you do not serve my
gods, and that you refuse to worship the golden statue I have set up?
15 When you hear the sound of horn,
pipe, lyre, zither, harp, bagpipe and every other kind of instrument,
are you prepared to prostrate yourselves and worship the statue I have
made? If you refuse to worship it, you will be thrown forthwith into the burning fiery furnace; then which of the gods could save you from my power?'
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, 'Your question needs no answer from us:
17 if our God, the one we serve, is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace and from your power, Your Majesty, he will save us;
18 and even if he does not, then you must know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your god or worship the statue you have set up.'
19 This infuriated King Nebuchadnezzar;
his expression was changed now as he looked at Shadrach, Meshach and
Abed-Nego. He gave orders for the furnace to be made seven times hotter
than usual
20 and commanded certain stalwarts from
his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego and throw them into the
burning fiery furnace.
91 King Nebuchadnezzar sprang to his
feet in amazement. He said to his advisers, 'Did we not have these three
men thrown bound into the fire?' They answered the king, 'Certainly,
Your Majesty'.
92 'But', he went on, 'I can see four
men walking free in the heart of the fire and quite unharmed! And the
fourth looks like a child of the gods!'
95 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego: he has sent his angel
to rescue his servants who, putting their trust in him, defied the
order of the king, and preferred to forfeit their bodies rather than
serve or worship any god but their God.
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Today's Gospel Reading - John 8:31-42
To the Jews who believed in him Jesus said: If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples; you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free. They answered, 'We are descended from Abraham and we have never been the slaves of anyone; what do you mean, "You will be set free?" ' Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave. Now a slave has no permanent standing in the household, but a son belongs to it for ever. So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free. I know that you are descended from Abraham; but you want to kill me because my word finds no place in you. What I speak of is what I have seen at my Father's side, and you too put into action the lessons you have learnt from your father. They repeated, 'Our father is Abraham.' Jesus said to them: If you are Abraham's children, do as Abraham did. As it is, you want to kill me, a man who has told you the truth as I have learnt it from God; that is not what Abraham did. You are doing your father's work. They replied, 'We were not born illegitimate, the only father we have is God.' Jesus answered: If God were your father, you would love me, since I have my origin in God and have come from him; I did not come of my own accord, but he sent me.
Reflection
• The reflection on chapter 8 of the
Gospel of John continues today. In the form of concentric circles, John
deepens the mystery of God which envelopes the person of Jesus. It seems
like a repetition, because he always goes back to speak of the same
point. In reality, it is the same point, but every time at a more
profound level. Today’s Gospel treats the theme of the relationship of
Jesus with Abraham, the Father of the People of God. John tries to help
the communities to understand how Jesus places himself within the whole
history of the People of God. He helps them to perceive the difference
that existed between Jesus and the Jews, and also the Jews and the
others, all of us are sons and daughters of Abraham.
• John 8, 31-32: The liberty which comes from fidelity to the word of Jesus. Jesus affirms to the Jews: “If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples; 32 you will come to know the truth and the truth will set you free”. To be a disciple of Jesus is the same as opening oneself to God. The words of Jesus are in reality words of God. They communicate the truth, because they make things known as they are in the eyes of God and not in the eyes of the Pharisees. Later, during the Last Supper, Jesus will teach the same thing to the disciples.
• John 8, 33.38: What is it to be a son or a daughter of Abraham? The reaction of the Jews is immediate: “We are descended from Abraham and we have never been the slaves of anyone: what do you mean: You will be set free?” Jesus repeats and confirms making a distinction between son and slave and says: “Everyone who commits sin is a slave. The slave has no permanent standing in the household, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free”. Jesus is the son and remains in the house of the Father. The slave does not live in the house of the Father. To live outside the house, outside of God means to live in sin. If they would accept the word of Jesus they could become sons and attain liberty. They would no longer be slaves. And Jesus continues: “I know that you are descended from Abraham; but you want to kill me, because my word finds no place in you”. The distinction is immediately very clear: “What I speak of is what I have seen at my Father’s side, and you too put into action the lessons you have learnt from your father”. Jesus denies to them the right to say that they are sons of Abraham, because their works affirm the contrary.
• John 8, 39-41ª: A son of Abraham fulfils the works of Abraham. They insist in affirming: “Our father is Abraham!” as if they wanted to present to Jesus a document of their identity. Jesus repeats: “If you are sons of Abraham do the works of Abraham! 40 Now, instead you are seeking to kill me, because I have told you the truth heard from God; Abraham has not done this. 41 You do the works of your father”. Between the lines, he suggests that their father is Satan (Jn 8, 44). He suggests that they are sons of prostitution.
• John 8, 41b-42: If God was your Father, certainly, you would love me, because I have my origin in God and I come from Him; I did not come of my own accord, but he sent me”. Jesus repeats the same truth using diverse words: “Whoever comes from God listens to the words of God”. The origin of this affirmation is from Jeremiah who says: “Within them I shall plant my Law, writing it on their hearts. Then I shall be their God and they will be my people. There will be no further need for everyone to teach neighbour or brother, saying: ‘Learn to know Yahweh!’ No, they will all know me, from the least to the greatest, Yahweh declares, since I shall forgive their guilt and never more call their sin to mind” (Jr 31, 33-34). But they will not open themselves to this new experience of God, and because of this they will not recognize Jesus as the one sent by the Father.
Personal questions
• Liberty which submits itself totally
to the Father. Does something of this type exist in you? Do you know
persons who are like that?
• Which is the deepest experience in me which leads me to recognize Jesus as the one sent by God?
• Which is the deepest experience in me which leads me to recognize Jesus as the one sent by God?
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: Saint Photine
Feast Day: March 20
Patron Saint:
Attributes:
The Water of Life Discourse between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, by Giacomo Franceschini, 17-18th century
According to the John 4:
Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)[2]This episode takes place after the return of Jesus to Galilee.[3] Culturally there was great enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans, who were considered a half-breed race by the Jews.[4]
This Gospel episode is referred to as "a paradigm for our engagement with truth", in the Roman Curia book A Christian reflection on the New Age, as the dialogue says: "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know" and offers an example of Jesus Christ the bearer of the water of life.[5]
The passages that comprise John 4:10-26 are sometimes referred to as the Water of Life Discourse which forms a complement to the Bread of Life Discourse.[6]
In Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico, a celebration of the Samaritan woman takes place on the fourth Friday of Lent. Churches, schools, and businesses give away fruit drinks to passers by.[7]
References
- ^ The Gospel of John by Joseph Ponessa, Laurie Watson Manhardt 2005 ISBN 1-931018-25-1 page 39
- ^ Bible gateway
- ^ The Gospel according to Saint John by Andrew T. Lincoln 2005 ISBN 1-56563-401-2 page 169
- ^ Deffinbaugh, Bob. "The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)." Bible.org. <bible.org/seriespage/good-samaritan-luke-1025-37>
- ^ Vatican website A Christian reflection on the New Age
- ^ The Gospel According to St. John: An Introduction With Commentary and Notes by C. K. Barrett 1955 ISBN 0-664-22180-7 page 12
- ^ Vive Oaxaca La Samaritana 2011 en Oaxaca
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Today's Snippet I: Water of Life Discourse
The passages that comprise John 4:10–26 are sometimes referred to as the Water of Life Discourse.[4] These references in the Gospel of John are also interpreted as the Water of Life.[3] The term is also used when water is poured during Baptismal prayers, praying for the Holy Spirit, e.g., "Give it the power to become water of life".[5][6]
The Book of Revelation
The reference to Water of Life in Revelation 21:6 appears in the context of New Jerusalem and states:- "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely". Revelation 22:1 then states: "And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb" .
| Revelation 21:6 | John 7:37 | John 4:14 |
|---|---|---|
| ... to the thirsty I will freely give from the fountain of the water of life. | ... if any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. | ... the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life. |
The use of the term Water of Life in Revelation 20 is part of the "theme of life" in the book of Revelation, other instances being the Book of Life in Revelation 21:27, and the Tree of Life in 22:2, 22:14 and 22:19.[9] John R. W. Stott relates this theme to Eternal Life in John 17:3: "And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, Jesus Christ".[9]
The Gospel of John
In the Gospel of John some references to water, as in John 4:15, are traditionally identified as the Water of Life being the Holy Spirit.[3] The passages that comprise John 4:10–26, and relate the episode of the Samaritan woman are sometimes referred to as the "Water of Life Discourse".[4] The Water of Life Discourse is the second among the seven discourses in the Gospel of John that pair with the seven signs in that gospel.[10]Another discourse, called the Bread of Life Discourse appears in John 6:22–59.[11] On their own, each of the discourses on the Water of Life and the Bread of Life are key examples of "single theme discourses" in the Gospel of John.[12] However, these two discourses in the Gospel of John complement each other to form the theme of "Christ as the Life".[4][13]
According to W. E. Vine, this theme of "Christ as the Life" relates to John 5:26 where Jesus states: "Just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself", reflecting the assertion of Jesus to have the power to give life, based on his relationship to the Eternal Father.[13]
References
- ^ David L. Jeffrey (1992) A Dictionary of biblical tradition in English literature ISBN 0-8028-3634-8 pp. 457–458
- ^ Thomas Aquinas, Daniel Keating, Matthew Levering (2010) Commentary on the Gospel of John, Chapters 1–5, Books 1–5 ISBN 0-8132-1723-7 p. 91
- ^ Saint Augustine and Edmund Hill (2009) Homilies on the Gospel of John 1–40 (Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century) ISBN 1-56548-318-9 p. 284
- ^ C. K. Barrett (1955) The Gospel According to St. John: An Introduction With Commentary and Notes ISBN 0-664-22180-7 p. 12
- ^ Baptism in the Early Church: History, Theology, and Liturgy in the First Five Centuries by Everett Ferguson 2009 ISBN 0-8028-2748-9 p. 730
- ^ Maxwell E. Johnson (2007) The rites of Christian initiation: their evolution and interpretation ISBN 0-8146-6215-3 p. 288
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Today's Snippet II: Book 5, Chapter 5
The Mystical City of God,
The Divine History and
Life of The Virgin Mother of God
THE BLESSED MOTHER OFFERS HER SON AS VICTIM TO THE
ETERNAL FATHER; JESUS DEPARTS FROM NAZARETH.
The love of our great Queen and Lady for her divine
Son must always remain the standard by which we must measure as well her actions
as all her emotions either of joy or sorrow during her earthly life. But we
cannot measure the greatness of her love itself, nor can the holy angels measure
it, except by the love which they see in God by the intuitive vision. All that
can ever be expressed by our inadequate words, similes and analogies, is but the
least portion of what this heavenly furnace of love really contained. For
She loved Jesus as the Son of the eternal Father, equal to Him in essence and in
all the divine attributes and perfections; She loved Him as her own natural Son,
Son to Her in as far as He was man, formed of her own flesh and blood; She loved
Him because as man He was the Saint of saints and the meritorious cause of all
other holiness (Dan. 11, 24). He was the most beautiful among the sons of
men (Ps. 44, 3). He was the most dutiful Son of his Mother, her most magnificent
Benefactor; since it was He, that by his sonship, had raised Her to the highest
dignity possible among creatures. He had exalted Her among all and above all by
the treasures of his Divinity and by conferring upon Her the dominion over all
creation together with favors, blessings and graces, such as were never to be
conferred upon any other being.
These motives and foundations of her love were established
and as it were, all comprehended in the wisdom of the heavenly Lady, together
with many others, which only her exalted knowledge could appreciate. In her
heart there was no hindrance of love, since it was the most innocent and pure;
She was not ungrateful, because her profoundest humility urged Her to a most
faithful correspondence; She was not remiss, because in Her the most abundant
grace wrought with all its efficacy; She was not slow or careless since She was
filled with most zealous and diligent fervor ; not forgetful, since her most
faithful memory was constantly fixed upon the blessings received and upon the
reasons and the precepts of deepest love. She moved in the sphere of the divine
love itself, since She remained in his visible presence and attended the school
of divine love of her Son, copying his works and his doings in his very company.
Nothing was wanting to this peerless One among lovers for entertaining love
without limitations of measure or manner. This most beautiful Moon then
being at its fullness, and looking into this Sun of justice just as it had risen
like a divine aurora from height to height and reached the noontide splendor of
the most clear light of grace; this Moon, Mary, detached from all material
creatures and entirely transformed by the light of this Sun, having experienced
on her part all the effects of his reciprocal love, favors and gifts, in the
height of her blessedness, at a time when the loss of all these blessings in her
Son made it most arduous, heard the voice of the eternal Father, calling Her as
once He called upon her prototype, Abraham, and demanding the deposit of all her
love and hope, her beloved Isaac (Gen. 22, 1).
The most prudent Mother was not unaware, the time of her
sacrifice was approaching; for her sweetest Son had already entered the
thirtieth year of his life and the time and place for satisfying the debt He had
assumed was at hand. But in the full possession of the Treasure, which
represented all her happiness, Mary was still considering its loss as far off,
not having as yet had its experience. The hour therefore drawing near, She was
wrapt in a most exalted vision and felt that She was being called and placed in
the presence of the throne of the most blessed Trinity. From it issued a voice
of wonderful power saying to Her: "Mary, my Daughter and Spouse,
offer to Me thy onlybegotten Son in sacrifice." By the living power of
these words came to Her the light and intelligence of the Almighty's will, and
in it the most blessed Mother understood the decree of the
Redemption of man through the Passion and Death of her most holy Son, together
with all that from now on would happen in the preaching and public life
of the Savior. As this knowledge was renewed and perfected in Her, She felt her
soul overpowered by sentiments of subjection, humility, love of God and
man, compassion and tenderest Sorrow for all that her Son was to suffer.
But with an undismayed and magnanimous heart She gave answer
to the Most High: "Eternal King and omnipotent God of infinite wisdom and
goodness, all that has being outside of Thee exists solely for thy mercy and
greatness, and Thou art undiminished Lord of all. How then dost Thou command me,
an insignificant wormlet of the earth, to sacrifice and deliver over to thy will
the Son, whom thy condescension has given me? He is thine, eternal
Father, since from all eternity before the morning star Thou hast
engendered Him (Ps. 109, 3), and Thou begettest Him and shalt beget Him through
all the eternities and if I have clothed Him in the form of servant (Philip 2,
7) in my womb and from my own blood, and if I have nourished his humanity at my
breast and ministered to it as a Mother: this most holy humanity is also thy
property, and so am I, since I have received from Thee all that I am and that I
could give Him. What then can I offer to Thee, that is not more thine than mine?
I confess, most high King, that thy magnificence and beneficence are so liberal
in heaping upon thy creatures thy infinite treasures, that in order to bind
Thyself to them Thou wishest to receive from them as a free gift, even thy own
onlybegotten Son, Him whom Thou begettest from thy own substance and from the
light of thy Divinity. With Him came to me all blessings together and from his
hands I received immense gifts and graces (Wis. 7, 11); He is the Virtue of my
virtue, the Substance of my spirit, Life of my soul and Soul of my life, the
Sustenance of all my joy of living. It would be a sweet sacrifice, indeed, to
yield Him up to Thee who alone knowest his value; but to yield Him for the
satisfaction of thy justice into the hands of his cruel enemies the cost of his
life, more precious than all the works of creation; this indeed, most high Lord,
is a great sacrifice which Thou askest of his Mother. However let not my will
but thine be done. Let the freedom of the human race be thus bought; let thy
justice and equity be satisfied; let thy infinite love become manifest; let thy
name be known and magnified before all creatures. I deliver Him over into thy
hands before all creatures. I deliver over into thy hands my beloved Isaac, that
He may be truly sacrificed; I offer my Son, the Fruit of my womb, in
order that, according to the unchangeable decree of thy Will, He may pay the
debt contracted not by his fault, but by the children of Adam, and in order that
in his Death He may fulfill all that thy holy Prophets, inspired by Thee, have
written and foretold."
This sacrifice with all that pertained to it, was the
greatest and the most acceptable that ever had been made to the eternal Father
since the creation of the world, or ever will be made to the end, outside of
that made by his own Son, the Redeemer; and hers was most intimately
connected with and like to that, which He offered. If the greatest charity
consists in offering one's life for the beloved, without a doubt most holy Mary
far surpassed this highest degree of love toward men, as She loved Her Son much
more than her own life. For in order to preserve the life of her Son, She would
have given the lives of all men, if She had possessed them, yea and countless
more. Among men there is no measure by which to estimate the love of that
heavenly Lady, and it can be estimated only by the love of the eternal
Father for his Son. As Christ says to Nikodemus (John 15, 7): so God loved the
world, that He gave his only Son in order that none of those who believed in him
might perish; so this might also be said in its degree of the love of the Mother
of mercy and in the same way do we owe to Her proportionately our salvation. For
She also loved us so much, that She gave her only Son for our salvation; and if
She had not given it in this manner, when it was asked of Her by the eternal
Father on this occasion, the salvation of men could not have been executed by
this same decree, since this decree was to be fulfilled on condition, that the
Mother's will should coincide with that of the eternal Father. Such is the
obligation which the children of Adam owe to most holy Mary.
Having accepted the offering of the great Lady, it was
fitting that the most Blessed Trinity should reward and immediately pay Her by
some favor, which would comfort Her in her sorrow and manifest more clearly the
will of the eternal Father and the reasons for his command. Therefore the
heavenly Lady, still in the same vision and raised to a more exalted ecstasy, in
which She was prepared and enlightened in the manner elsewhere described (I,
623), the Divinity manifested Itself to Her by an intuitive and direct vision.
In this vision, by the clear light of the essence of God, She comprehended the
inclination of the infinite Good to communicate his fathomless treasures to the
rational creatures by means of the works of the incarnate Word, and She saw the
glory, that would result from these wonders to the name of he Most High. Filled
with jubilation of her soul at the prospect of all these sacramental
mysteries, the heavenly Mother renewed the offering of her divine Son to
the Father; and God comforted Her with the life-giving bread of heavenly
understanding, in order that She might with invincible fortitude assist the
incarnate Word in the work of Redemption as Coadjutrix and Helper, according to
the disposition of infinite Wisdom and according as it really happened
afterwards in the rest of her life.
Then most holy Mary issued forth from this exalted rapture in
the description of which I will not further detain myself; for it was
accompanied by the same circumstances as the other intuitive visions already
mentioned. But by its effects and the strength imparted through it, She was now
prepared to separate from her divine Son, who had already resolved to enter upon
his fast in the desert in view of receiving his Baptism. He therefore called his
Mother and, speaking to Her with the tokens of sweetest love and compassion, He
said: "My Mother, my existence as man I derive entirely from thy substance
and blood, of which I have taken the form of a servant in thy virginal womb
(Phil. 2, 7). Thou also hast nursed Me at thy breast and taken care of Me by thy
labors and sweat. For this reason I account Me more thine own and as thy Son,
than any other ever acknowledged, or more than any ever will acknowledge himself
as the son of his mother. Give Me thy permission and consent toward
accomplishing the will of my eternal Father. Already the time has arrived, in
which I must leave thy sweet interaction and company and begin the work of the
Redemption of man. The time of rest has come to an end and the hour of
suffering for the rescue of the sons of Adam has arrived. But I wish to perform
this work of my Father with thy assistance, and Thou art to be my companion and
helper in preparing for my Passion and Death of the Cross. Although I must now
leave Thee alone, my blessing shall remain with Thee, and my loving and powerful
protection. I shall afterwards return to claim thy assistance and company in my
labors; for I am to undergo them in the form of man, which Thou hast given
Me."
With these words, while both Mother and Son were overflowing
with abundant tears, the Lord placed his arms around the neck of the most tender
Mother, yet Both maintaining a majestic composure such as befitted these Masters
in the art of suffering. The heavenly Lady fell at the feet of her divine Son
and, with ineffable sorrow and reverence, answered: "My Lord and eternal
God: Thou art indeed my Son and in Thee is fulfilled all the force of love,
which I have received of Thee: my inmost soul is laid open to the eyes of thy
divine wisdom. My life I would account but little, if I could thereby save thy
own, or if I could die for Thee many times. But the will of the eternal Father
and thy own must be fulfilled and I offer my own will as a sacrifice for this
fulfillment. Receive it, my Son and as Master of all my being; let it be an
acceptable offering, and let thy divine protection never be wanting to me. It
would be a much greater for me, not to be allowed to accompany Thee in thy
labors and in thy Cross. May I merit this favor, my Son, and I ask it of Thee as
thy true Mother in return for the human form, which Thou hast received of
me." The most loving Mother also besought Him to take along some food from
the house, or that He allow it to be sent to where He was to go. But the Savior
would not consent to anything of the sort, at the same enlightening his Mother
of what was befitting for the occasion. They went together to the door of their
house, where She again fell at his feet to ask his blessing and kiss his feet.
The divine Master gave Her his benediction and then began his journey to the
Jordan, issuing forth as the good Shepherd to seek his lost sheep and bring them
back on his shoulders to the way of eternal life, from which they had been
decayed by deceit (Luke 15, 5).
When our Redeemer sought saint John in order to be baptized,
He had already entered his thirtieth year, although not much of it had yet
passed; for He betook Himself directly to the banks of the Jordan, where saint
John was baptizing (Matth. 3, 13), and He received Baptism at his hands about
thirty days after He had finished the twenty-ninth year of his life on the same
day as is set aside for its celebration by the Church. I cannot worthily
describe the sorrow of most holy Mary at his departure, nor the compassion of
the Savior for Her. All words and description are far too inadequate to manifest
what passed in the heart of the Son and Mother. As this was to be part of their
meritorious sufferings, it was not befitting that the natural effects of their
mutual loves should be diminished. God permitted these effects to work in Them
to their full extent, and as far as was compatible with the holiness of both
Mother and Son. Our divine Teacher found no relief in hastening his steps toward
the goal of our Redemption, to which He was drawn by the force of his immense
charity; nor was the thought of what He intended a lessening of the sense of
loss, which She sustained at his departure; for all this only made more certain
and more conspicuous the torments which He was to undergo. O my dearest Love!
Why does not our ingratitude and hardness of heart allow us to meet Thee with a
responsive love? Why does not the perfect uselessness of man, and still more,
his ingratitude, influence Thee to desist? Without us, O my eternal Goodness and
Life, Thou wilt be just as happy without us as with us, just as infinite in
perfections, holiness and glory; we can add nothing to that which Thou hast in
Thyself, since Thou art entirely independent of creatures. Why then, O my Love,
dost Thou so anxiously seek us out and care for us? Why dost Thou, at the
cost of thy Passion and the Cross, purchase our happiness? Without doubt,
because thy incomprehensible love and goodness esteems it as thy own, and we
alone insist in treating our own happiness as alien to Thee and to ourselves.
WORDS OF THE QUEEN. (The Virgin Mary speaks to Sister Mary of
Agreda, Spain.)
My daughter, I wish that thou ponder and penetrate more and
more this mystery of which thou hast written, so fixing it in thy soul,
that thou wilt be drawn to imitate my example at least in some part of it.
Consider then, that in the vision of the Divinity which I had on this
occasion, I was made to comprehend the high value which the Lord sets upon the
labors, the Passion and Death of my Son, and upon all those who were to imitate
and follow Jesus in the way of the Cross. Knowing this, I not only offered to
deliver my Son over to Passion and Death, but I asked Him to make me his
companion and partaker of all his sorrows, sufferings and torments, which
request the eternal Father granted. Then, in order to begin following in the
footsteps of his bitterness, I besought my Son and Lord to deprive me of
interior delights; and this petition was inspired in me by the Lord himself,
because He wished it so, and because my own love taught me and urged me thereto.
This desire for suffering and the wishes of my divine Son led me on in the way
of suffering. He himself because He loved me so tenderly, granted me my desires;
for those whom He loves, He chastises and afflicts (Prov. 3, 12). I as his Mother
was not to be deprived of this blessed distinction of being entirely like unto
Him, which alone makes this life most estimable. Immediately this will the Most
High, this my earnest petition, began to be fulfilled: I began to feel the want
of his delightful caresses and He began to treat me with greater reserve. That
was one of the reasons, why He did not call me Mother, but Woman, at the
marriage-feast at Cana and at the foot of the Cross (John 2, 4, 19, 26);
and also on other occasions, when He abstained from words of tenderness. So far
was this from being a sign of a diminution of his love, that it was rather an
exquisite refinement of his affection to assimilate me to Him in the sufferings
which He chose Himself as his precious treasure and inheritance.
Hence thou wilt understand the ignorance and error of
mortals, and how far they drift from the way of light, when, as a rule, nearly
all of them strive to avoid labor and suffering and are frightened by the royal
and secure road of mortification and the Cross. Full of this deceitful
ignorance, they do not only abhor resemblance to Christ's suffering and my own,
and deprive themselves of the true and highest blessing of this life but they
make their recovery impossible, since all of them are weak and afflicted by many
sins, for which the only remedy is suffering. Sin is committed by base
indulgence and is repugnant to suffering sorrow, while tribulation earns pardon
of the just judge. By the bitterness of sorrow and affliction the vapors of sin
are allayed; the excesses of the concupiscible and irascible passions are
crushed; pride and haughtiness are humiliated; the flesh is subdued the
inclination to evil, to the sensible and earthly creatures is repressed; the
judgment is cleared; the will is brought within bounds and its desultory
movements at the call of the passions, are corrected; and, above all, divine
love and pity are drawn down upon the afflicted, who embrace suffering with
patience, or who seek it to imitate my most holy Son. In this science of
suffering are renewed all the blessed riches of the creatures; those that fly
from them are insane, those that know nothing of this science are foolish.
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
Part Two: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery, Sect 1
SECTION ONE
THE SACRAMENTAL ECONOMY
1076
The Church was made manifest to the world on the day of Pentecost by the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit.1Cf. SC 6; LG 2 The gift of the Spirit ushers in a new
era in the "dispensation of the mystery" the age of the Church,
during which Christ manifests, makes present, and communicates his work of
salvation through the
liturgy of his Church, "until he comes."1 Cor
11:26 In this age of the
Church Christ now lives and acts in and with his Church, in a new way
appropriate to this new age. He acts through the sacraments in what the common
Tradition of the East and the West calls "the sacramental economy";
this is the communication (or "dispensation") of the fruits of
Christ's Paschal mystery in the celebration of the Church's
"sacramental" liturgy.
It is
therefore important first to explain this "sacramental dispensation"
(chapter one). the nature and essential features of liturgical celebration will
then appear more clearly (chapter two).
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