The
Christmas season has come to an end. The
liturgical season of Ordinary Time allows us to contemplate the public ministry
of Our Lord.
The
simplicity and peacefulness of the hidden life of Jesus has ended. It is
replaced by intense apostolic activity.
The
quiet of the carpenter shop, the conversations with Mary and Joseph, and
the comfort of long intervals of prayer will soon be only cherished
memories. Every word he utters will
bring a response.
As
we make our way to another Ash Wednesday and the austerity of Lent, the liturgy
will help us to understand what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
“So often today man does not know what is within
him, in the depths of his mind and heart. So often he is uncertain about the meaning
of his life on this earth. He is assailed by doubt, a doubt which turns into
despair. We ask you therefore, we beg
you with humility and trust, let Christ speak to man. He alone has words of
life, yes, of eternal life” (Blessed Pope
John Paul, homily, October 22, 1978).
Had Jesus
of Nazareth been a Roman or a Greek, certainly his contemporaries would
have left behind statues in his honor.
However, because the Jews had a strict understanding of idolatry,
their interpretation of the Mosaic Law did not allow them to make any
images whatsoever of any human person.
It would have been interesting if we had been left something that would
illustrate the physical attributes of the Lord.
Throughout
the centuries, there has been much discussion on the subject. The Shroud of Turin and Veronica’s veil tell
us a lot about his Middle Eastern features; however, our faith is best
served by depending on the one authenticated source, the
Gospels.
The accounts written
by the Evangelists depict Our Lord's great capacity for physical
activity. The long hours spent at
hard work in the carpenter shop had prepared him well for the grueling
task of his public ministry.
He
walked many miles under the blazing Middle Eastern sun in order to preach the
Kingdom of God. He slept many nights
under the stars, and he spent much of that time in the bliss of silent
prayer. He found little time to eat
because of the multitudes seeking his healing touch, and yet
when he did find time to rest, he slept so profoundly that not even a terrible
storm could awaken him.
His
body was strong and so was his soul.
During the hours of tribulation in Gethsemane, he persevered in
profound prayer while the apostles slept.
When Joseph of Arimathea requested his body for burial, Pilate was surprised
to discover that Jesus had died so quickly. Pilate knew that he had encountered a strong
Galilean.
Jesus
did not display his divinity in the manner of the mythical figures of
Greek and Roman literature. He did not
fly from place to place as though he were some sort of superman.
Amazingly, in him the supernatural and the natural were interwoven. His divinity seemed so simple and
normal.
No
mysterious beams of light, flashes of lightning, or peals of
thunder occurred as he performed his miracles. Instead, it was enough for him to touch, or
be touched.
Only
once did he show the magnificence of his divinity before a select group of
apostles. Even then, during the
transfiguration, the experience was brief, simple, and discreet.
Aside
from his physical attributes, Jesus knew exactly what he wanted. He was one with his mission. Everything that he did proceeded
from his passionate desire to fulfill the will of the Father.
Unlike
the complicated discourse of many philosophers and religious
leaders, Our Lord’s teaching is simple and easy enough for everyone to
understand. However, the message is so
clear and precise that his words are irresistible to all those who listen.
Who
is this man that has divided history into two parts? Who is this man that has divided
nations? Who is this man for
whom many of his followers have given their lives rather
than deny him?
What
do we need to do in order to truly know Christ Jesus? Above all, we must be open. We need to
listen.
In
this Sunday’s gospel narrative, two individuals heard the proclamation of John
the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of
God. The two
disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus” (John 1: 36-37).
In order to follow, we need to
listen.
Far
too many people attempt to live Christianity based upon their own terms. They do not come to the Lord with open
minds and hearts. Far too many remove pages from the Scriptures and
reduce Christianity to their own comfort level.
When we are completely open, the Holy Spirit floods our souls with his
loving and peaceful presence. He cannot
enter locked doors and windows that he cannot open. God respects our freedom.
Only
the open can believe and see. Only those
who listen can follow.
At
our own Baptism, the priest touched our ears and said Ephphetha, be open. There is something about the modern world
that is preventing us from listening to God.
Some even listen, only to reject what they hear.
The
narrow road of the Gospel is difficult to live.
Nevertheless, it is the only road that leads to eternal life in heaven.
Jesus
wants you to have life. He wants you to
be happy. He wants you to have the best
possible life here on earth. He wants to
fill you with his divine life, sanctifying grace, so that you may enter into
his joy. He wants you to experience his
peace. He wants you to be with him in
eternal life in heaven. He only wants
the best for you. This is why he wants
you to open your hearts to him and let him enter in.
Have
no fear of allowing Jesus to enter into your life. Do not fear the most exciting, most joyful,
and the most powerful relationship known to the human person.
“Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, ‘What are you
looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’
– which translated means Teacher – ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and you will see.’ So they went and saw where Jesus was staying,
and they stayed with him that day” (John 1: 38-39).
Our relationship with
Jesus is a personal relationship; a love relationship of two persons. Yes, we are a community of believers; but
better yet, we are a community of people who are in love.
"The man who wishes to understand himself thoroughly - and not just
in accordance with immediate, partial, often superficial, and even illusory
standards and measures of his being – he must with his unrest, uncertainty and
even his weakness and sinfulness, with his life and death, draw near to Christ. He must, so to speak, enter into him with all
his own self, he must 'appropriate' and assimilate the whole reality of the
Incarnation and Redemption in order to find himself" (Blessed Pope John
Paul II, The Redeemer of Man).
Break open the Scriptures. Immerse yourself in the Word of God. Spend time with our Eucharistic Lord every
day: daily Mass and adoration. Be a part
of the people who are always in love.
“To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; to seek him,
the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement” (Saint
Augustine).
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