“As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and to say, ‘Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me’. And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, ‘Son of David, have pity on me’. Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him here’. So they called the blind man. ‘Courage,’ they said ‘get up; he is calling you’. So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus spoke, ‘what do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Rabbuni,’ the blind man said to him, ‘Master, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has saved you.’ And immediately his sight returned and he followed him along the road.” (Mark 10:46-52)
This has got to be one of the most exciting and dynamic passages I have read for ages. There is so much in it for each of us, individually, that it is hard to know where to begin. As in all passages of the Gospel, we are in there somehow, and in this passage we are both the blind beggar and members of the crowd.
An opportunity!
I wonder how long Bartimaeus had been sitting by the side of the road begging. A life-time? He must have heard something of the reputation which this man Jesus was acquiring: a man who heals the sick, raises the dead and who gives sight to the blind. He hears a large crowd approaching and must have sensed something more exciting than usual going on … can Jesus of Nazareth be amongst the crowd? When someone in the crowd says that, yes, Jesus is here, he sees it as his chance for a personal encounter with him. He just has a feeling that this man, Jesus, born in the line of David, has great powers to do great things and that this is a real opportunity for him. He leaps at this opportunity and keeps calling out in order to catch his attention.
Where am I in this scene?
· I have heard of Jesus, and I know his reputation
· What is his reputation? … is it true?
· How have I responded to his reputation; do I really believe that he can do all things for me?
· Do I leap at opportunities of encountering him?
· In what ways am I passing up or disregarding opportunities?
Have pity!
Bartimaeus first calls out to him “Son of David!” – an affirmation of the importance of his birth, but not quite the affirmation of Jesus’ authority which comes later in the passage. But, his shouting is really irritating the crowd who turn on him to scold him, telling him to keep quiet. His anxiety that he was going to be shouted down by the crowd and overlooked by Jesus must have been awful: are they going to stop me approaching Jesus? Will he hear me? This is my last chance – I may never be this close to Jesus ever again. So Bartimaeus shouts all the louder … “Son of David, have pity on me!” These words have resounded down through the centuries by so many millions: have pity on me.
· Do I stand in need of Jesus’ pity?
· I do, because I am human: I am weak and easily tempted.
· I look at my past and can see that I stand in need of forgiveness.
· O Lord, hear my voice over the din of life’s distractions and …have pity on me!
Jesus calls him
Suddenly, Jesus stops in his tracks. The crowd stops. “Call him here” Jesus says and, all of a sudden, the fawning crowd whose attitude to the beggar had been so dismissive, changes. This beggar has been a wretched nuisance for years; we have been tripping and falling over him and, truth to tell, he is a bit of a pain. However, Jesus wants to see him – he has singled him out – perhaps our attitude has been wrong. We are very impressed by this man Jesus, so we had better comply with him and help the beggar to his feet and to Jesus.
Am I Bartimaeus in this scene?
· Bartimaeus beckons and Jesus responds: do I actively beckon to Jesus?
· Do I call out to him full of faith that he will hear and respond?
· I may, at times, feel lonely, but Jesus’ friends are around me and keen to help
Or, perhaps, the crowd?
· I need to be aware of those around me who are crying out for God
· How can I help?
· By being more open and sharing my faith with them?
· By praying for them?
· Who are the people I am tripping over and finding a nuisance?
· Should I be helping them?
Unhinder yourself
The beggar gets up and throws off his cloak. This is very symbolic of throwing off his old self: getting rid of unnecessary baggage which may hinder his journey towards Jesus.
· What are the obstacles in my relationship with Jesus?
· What baggage is Jesus asking me to get rid of in my journey towards him?
What do you need?
The beggar approaches Jesus and is rewarded with this exquisitely beautiful question: “What do you want me to do for you?”.
Just imagine yourself, for a moment, into this scene and that it is you – just as you are – standing in front of Jesus – such a warm and loving person, a man of healing, truth and power, and he asks you … what do you want me to do for you? This question is a deeply moving one as we think of all the things we want Jesus to do for us. I think of the many people for whom I am praying: my family, those who are sick or anxious and so very much more. Where shall I stop? The blind man must have been struggling … what shall I ask of him? Shall I ask for a job … a home? … an easier life?
His eventual and only response is … “Rabbuni!” or “Master!”, words which affirm that Jesus really is his Master and can do all things for him. In this knowledge and having affirmed, publicly who Jesus is, he then says “Please, let me see again”.
The amazing thing about Jesus’ question is that he even asks it at all – doesn’t he know everything before it is even on our tongue? Doesn’t he know everything we need? There is a purpose to his question: he intended that it should be recorded and that all who would read the Gospels in the future should come across it and be prompted to think: “What do I want Jesus to do for me?”
The blind man’s response reflects what should be not only our own deepest personal request of the Lord but, indeed, the whole of humanity: “Master, let me see!” “Let me see the wonderful ways in which you bless me every day, let me see the suffering and pain of those in need, let me see your beauty in those I prefer to dislike, let me see your glory all around me in the beauty of creation, let me see the ways in which we can work for greater justice and peace in the world, let me see myself as you see me, let me see your will for me….”
Go, your faith has saved you
In his exclamation “Master!”, Bartimaeus is filled with the knowledge of the Truth of who Jesus is: he is the Son of God. It was not his plea of “let me see again” which brought about the restoration of his sight, but his acknowledgement of who Jesus was, an acknowledgement affirmed by Jesus, “Go, your faith has saved you”.
He followed him
Bartimaeus’ encounter with Jesus achieved two things: it deepened his faith and brought about a newness of sight, a newness of sight which led to his desire to follow Jesus. This is why we must make every effort to encounter Jesus in our own lives. We need him to deepen our own faith that we, too, might be granted newness of sight and a greater desire to be a follower of Jesus.
Jesus question “What do you want me to do for you?” is at the heart of Jesus’ relationship with us: he walks with us all day long, whispering this very question into our hearts … “what do you want me to do for you?”, an invitation to allow him into every aspect and moment of our lives.
Saturday, 30 May 2009
Friday, 8 May 2009
Obliged to go to Church?!
The words ‘Holyday of Obligation’ are so familiar to Catholics that they trip off the tongue without our stopping to think: why is the Church actually obliging me to go to mass? Such is the age of personal freedom and lack of personal discipline and obedience, that the very word ‘obligation’ more often than not meets with something of a flicker of rebellion.
The tradition of going to Church every Sunday is very much based on the Ten Commandments given to Moses and stresses the importance of having one day of rest, taking that day as an opportunity to focus on priority: God, family, community, praise and worship. As God gave Moses the Ten Commandments he told him that they were the blueprint for a happy and successful society: follow these rules and all will be well.
The Church has imposed rules upon its members based on the Ten Commandments. These rules and regulations are there because God is fully aware of humanity’s natural weaknesses: he knows that without rules and regulations humanity will always be in danger of running riot, morally.
All the rules and regulations given to us have been laid down in the spirit of Love, not to constrain us but to protect us, and there are some very specific days which the Church sees as particularly important in terms of keeping humanity on track, and the Church emphasises these days in God’s name. These days are the Holydays of Obligation.
In any one Liturgical year (beginning with the first Sunday in Advent and ending with the Feast of Christ the King, just before Advent) there are no less than seven Holydays of Obligation. They are: The Epiphany, The Ascension, Corpus Christi, Saints Peter and Paul, The Assumption, All Saints and Christmas Day.
Let’s take a look at each of them, asking ourselves: Why is this important? What is it asking of me and what is it offering to me?
In The Epiphany we meet the Magi, the Three Wise Men, who have been stargazers for some time and who are now joined in their conviction that this new star will lead them to a new King. They are united in their following of the Light. Why is this important to me, here and now? It is important because the significance for us is that they were not Israelites, they were not members of God’s chosen people: they were, like us, outsiders. They therefore represent all members of the rest of humanity who search for the Christ. The kings searched and they found; they knocked and the door was opened to them; they believed in their search and were rewarded. This day is therefore asking me: am I actively following the light, i.e. searching for Jesus (i.e. love, truth, honesty, integrity, goodness, etc) in my day-to-day life? How am I searching? Do I read the gospels regularly enough? Am I neglectful of my prayer life? Do I allow myself, by my actions and words, to be a means of reflecting the Light into the world around me? But what is this Holyday offering me? Hope! It is a reminder that when Jesus opened his arms on the cross, he opened his arms to the community beyond his own, Jewish, community: I am included in God’s family, as I recognise him as my Father, he recognises me as his own and beloved child.
In the Ascension we see the Lord leaving the earth for the last time, promising us that he has to return to heaven in order that the Holy Spirit can be sent into the world. This is important to us on a number of levels. On a human level it is a reminder that in life we are bound to encounter loss: we cannot hold on to those whom we love because, ultimately, they belong to God. On a spiritual level it is a reminder that the Holy Spirit – he who is so strong, so perfect, so wise, so steadfast – is promised to us. As a direct result of the Ascension, the Spirit was poured out upon the world, and continues to be poured out into the world and into hearts who invite him and are willing to receive Him. This should cause us to ask of ourselves: do I acknowledge the gift of the Spirit in my life? Do I seek Him and His guidance out? This feast offers us the opportunity to turn to the Spirit afresh, inviting him into our lives that we may become the person that God so urgently wants us to be.
In the feast of Corpus Christi we remember that, despite Jesus leaving the world 2,000 years ago, he is still with us! All those people who flocked to him whilst he was still alive came to him and found their healing. Corpus Christi reminds us that we, too, can come to him, truly and fully present as he is in the Eucharist at Mass, to search for our own healing. It obviously challenges us to think more carefully and deeply about our attitude to Mass and to the Eucharist, and encourages us to have faith in Jesus still truly present amongst us. As I walk up the aisle at Communion time, I imagine the warm Middle Eastern dust under my feet, the hot desert sun on my face, the din of the crowd and …. Jesus, the great healer, waiting for me, to meet my need and the needs of those I carry with me. Corpus Christi is a celebration of Jesus still amongst us to heal and strengthen us. I cannot think of a more powerful, loving and intimate gift to each of us than this, the personal, gentle and healing touch of the Lord in the form of bread.
In June we remember Saints Peter and Paul. This may seem a strange choice for obliging us to go to church. But if we reflect that without these two men there would be no Church, then it is not surprising that we are asked to gather together to officially recognise their work and great personal sacrifice. This Holyday asks us to question our own attitude as to how we join in the work of the original apostles in proclaiming the Gospel. For instance, I know how uncomfortable it is possible to feel in talking about faith and being open with others about our relationship with God. But, imagine what the Church would have been like if Peter and Paul had failed to be open about their faith! The faith cannot be carried on from one generation to the next without people who are open about faith. Therefore, if we call ourselves believers and followers of Christ then we, too, are on a mission. The best way we can be open about faith is in the way we live. Indeed, one of my favourite quotes from St Francis is this: “Preach the Gospel with your whole life. If necessary, use words”. One of the most important aspects of this Holyday is that it is a good reminder that God chooses weak, unlikely and surprising characters to carry out his work. This, in itself, should fill us with encouragement and hope.
In the Feast of The Assumption we celebrate the fact that Mary was taken up into Heaven both in soul and in body. She is the forerunner of all who believe and have faith: she was the first disciple and believer who welcomed Jesus into her life and whose life was transformed by her “Yes”. We are taught that at the Final Judgement our corrupt bodies will be transformed into glorious copies of Our Lord’s and that those who have been faithful in serving the Lord in their lifetime will be rewarded by the fullest possible resurrection. What does it ask of us? It asks us to consider how fully we have given our own ‘Yes’ and whether or not we have allowed that ‘yes’ to transform our lives. It asks us to question how faithful we have been. This Holyday reminds us, of course, that as baptised children of God, we have the promise of resurrection and an eternity spent in the company of the saints and angels.
Which brings us to the Feast of All Saints. Is this a feast we can relate to? Yes, absolutely! Of course, primarily, this is a day which celebrates all those who have gone before us who have gained Heaven due to the witness of their lives. BUT, this is also a day which celebrates all Christians. St Paul regularly in his letters refers to the followers of Christ as ‘saints’. It is therefore a day when we celebrate the fact that God asks all of us to strive to know, love and serve him to the best of our ability – that is what a saint is. Regardless of our background we are all called to love God and each other. If we can do that, then the feast of All Saints is for us. Well, that raises the obvious questions, and challenges us to look at just how far we are prepared to go to know, love and serve God. Do I know God? If not, why not? How do I express my love for him? How am I serving him in my day to day life?
I’ll bet you didn’t know that Christmas Day was a Holyday of Obligation. Of course, Midnight Mass has something of a reputation anyway for dragging even the most reluctant church-goer out into the cold night air, unable to resist the annual ritual of being in church on Christmas Eve. Of all the Holydays of Obligation this is the one most likely to attract churchgoers and with good reason, though we have to be careful to divorce ourselves from the commercialisation of this Feast and to go to church to sincerely celebrate the appearance upon this earth of Him who created all things. It is a miracle, probably, too deep for humanity to completely and fully comprehend, but a miracle truly deserving of obliging Christians to gather together in a spirit of worship, praise and thanksgiving.
All of these Holydays of Obligation are invitations to do that: to praise and to give thanks. If I were to list here all the things we need to praise about God and all the things we need to thank him for, there isn’t enough paper in the world to do it, neither would there be sufficient words or time. Holydays of Obligation present us with small but important opportunities to express our thanks and to ask ourselves questions about how we are doing in our own journey towards God.
The tradition of going to Church every Sunday is very much based on the Ten Commandments given to Moses and stresses the importance of having one day of rest, taking that day as an opportunity to focus on priority: God, family, community, praise and worship. As God gave Moses the Ten Commandments he told him that they were the blueprint for a happy and successful society: follow these rules and all will be well.
The Church has imposed rules upon its members based on the Ten Commandments. These rules and regulations are there because God is fully aware of humanity’s natural weaknesses: he knows that without rules and regulations humanity will always be in danger of running riot, morally.
All the rules and regulations given to us have been laid down in the spirit of Love, not to constrain us but to protect us, and there are some very specific days which the Church sees as particularly important in terms of keeping humanity on track, and the Church emphasises these days in God’s name. These days are the Holydays of Obligation.
In any one Liturgical year (beginning with the first Sunday in Advent and ending with the Feast of Christ the King, just before Advent) there are no less than seven Holydays of Obligation. They are: The Epiphany, The Ascension, Corpus Christi, Saints Peter and Paul, The Assumption, All Saints and Christmas Day.
Let’s take a look at each of them, asking ourselves: Why is this important? What is it asking of me and what is it offering to me?
In The Epiphany we meet the Magi, the Three Wise Men, who have been stargazers for some time and who are now joined in their conviction that this new star will lead them to a new King. They are united in their following of the Light. Why is this important to me, here and now? It is important because the significance for us is that they were not Israelites, they were not members of God’s chosen people: they were, like us, outsiders. They therefore represent all members of the rest of humanity who search for the Christ. The kings searched and they found; they knocked and the door was opened to them; they believed in their search and were rewarded. This day is therefore asking me: am I actively following the light, i.e. searching for Jesus (i.e. love, truth, honesty, integrity, goodness, etc) in my day-to-day life? How am I searching? Do I read the gospels regularly enough? Am I neglectful of my prayer life? Do I allow myself, by my actions and words, to be a means of reflecting the Light into the world around me? But what is this Holyday offering me? Hope! It is a reminder that when Jesus opened his arms on the cross, he opened his arms to the community beyond his own, Jewish, community: I am included in God’s family, as I recognise him as my Father, he recognises me as his own and beloved child.
In the Ascension we see the Lord leaving the earth for the last time, promising us that he has to return to heaven in order that the Holy Spirit can be sent into the world. This is important to us on a number of levels. On a human level it is a reminder that in life we are bound to encounter loss: we cannot hold on to those whom we love because, ultimately, they belong to God. On a spiritual level it is a reminder that the Holy Spirit – he who is so strong, so perfect, so wise, so steadfast – is promised to us. As a direct result of the Ascension, the Spirit was poured out upon the world, and continues to be poured out into the world and into hearts who invite him and are willing to receive Him. This should cause us to ask of ourselves: do I acknowledge the gift of the Spirit in my life? Do I seek Him and His guidance out? This feast offers us the opportunity to turn to the Spirit afresh, inviting him into our lives that we may become the person that God so urgently wants us to be.
In the feast of Corpus Christi we remember that, despite Jesus leaving the world 2,000 years ago, he is still with us! All those people who flocked to him whilst he was still alive came to him and found their healing. Corpus Christi reminds us that we, too, can come to him, truly and fully present as he is in the Eucharist at Mass, to search for our own healing. It obviously challenges us to think more carefully and deeply about our attitude to Mass and to the Eucharist, and encourages us to have faith in Jesus still truly present amongst us. As I walk up the aisle at Communion time, I imagine the warm Middle Eastern dust under my feet, the hot desert sun on my face, the din of the crowd and …. Jesus, the great healer, waiting for me, to meet my need and the needs of those I carry with me. Corpus Christi is a celebration of Jesus still amongst us to heal and strengthen us. I cannot think of a more powerful, loving and intimate gift to each of us than this, the personal, gentle and healing touch of the Lord in the form of bread.
In June we remember Saints Peter and Paul. This may seem a strange choice for obliging us to go to church. But if we reflect that without these two men there would be no Church, then it is not surprising that we are asked to gather together to officially recognise their work and great personal sacrifice. This Holyday asks us to question our own attitude as to how we join in the work of the original apostles in proclaiming the Gospel. For instance, I know how uncomfortable it is possible to feel in talking about faith and being open with others about our relationship with God. But, imagine what the Church would have been like if Peter and Paul had failed to be open about their faith! The faith cannot be carried on from one generation to the next without people who are open about faith. Therefore, if we call ourselves believers and followers of Christ then we, too, are on a mission. The best way we can be open about faith is in the way we live. Indeed, one of my favourite quotes from St Francis is this: “Preach the Gospel with your whole life. If necessary, use words”. One of the most important aspects of this Holyday is that it is a good reminder that God chooses weak, unlikely and surprising characters to carry out his work. This, in itself, should fill us with encouragement and hope.
In the Feast of The Assumption we celebrate the fact that Mary was taken up into Heaven both in soul and in body. She is the forerunner of all who believe and have faith: she was the first disciple and believer who welcomed Jesus into her life and whose life was transformed by her “Yes”. We are taught that at the Final Judgement our corrupt bodies will be transformed into glorious copies of Our Lord’s and that those who have been faithful in serving the Lord in their lifetime will be rewarded by the fullest possible resurrection. What does it ask of us? It asks us to consider how fully we have given our own ‘Yes’ and whether or not we have allowed that ‘yes’ to transform our lives. It asks us to question how faithful we have been. This Holyday reminds us, of course, that as baptised children of God, we have the promise of resurrection and an eternity spent in the company of the saints and angels.
Which brings us to the Feast of All Saints. Is this a feast we can relate to? Yes, absolutely! Of course, primarily, this is a day which celebrates all those who have gone before us who have gained Heaven due to the witness of their lives. BUT, this is also a day which celebrates all Christians. St Paul regularly in his letters refers to the followers of Christ as ‘saints’. It is therefore a day when we celebrate the fact that God asks all of us to strive to know, love and serve him to the best of our ability – that is what a saint is. Regardless of our background we are all called to love God and each other. If we can do that, then the feast of All Saints is for us. Well, that raises the obvious questions, and challenges us to look at just how far we are prepared to go to know, love and serve God. Do I know God? If not, why not? How do I express my love for him? How am I serving him in my day to day life?
I’ll bet you didn’t know that Christmas Day was a Holyday of Obligation. Of course, Midnight Mass has something of a reputation anyway for dragging even the most reluctant church-goer out into the cold night air, unable to resist the annual ritual of being in church on Christmas Eve. Of all the Holydays of Obligation this is the one most likely to attract churchgoers and with good reason, though we have to be careful to divorce ourselves from the commercialisation of this Feast and to go to church to sincerely celebrate the appearance upon this earth of Him who created all things. It is a miracle, probably, too deep for humanity to completely and fully comprehend, but a miracle truly deserving of obliging Christians to gather together in a spirit of worship, praise and thanksgiving.
All of these Holydays of Obligation are invitations to do that: to praise and to give thanks. If I were to list here all the things we need to praise about God and all the things we need to thank him for, there isn’t enough paper in the world to do it, neither would there be sufficient words or time. Holydays of Obligation present us with small but important opportunities to express our thanks and to ask ourselves questions about how we are doing in our own journey towards God.
I want to be with you ...
In June we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi which, translated from Latin, means "Body of Christ". This is one of the few celebrations of the year which the Church has designated a Holyday of Obligation, which means that we are obliged to go to church. The fact that we are obliged to go to church indicates that the Church sees this celebration as one of the most important. Why?
It is one of the most important celebrations because it is a remembrance and affirmation of the most powerful of Jesus’ parting gifts to mankind: the gift of Himself. We are not talking about some vague notion of Jesus' being with us spiritually (which he is), but actually present with us.
After Jesus rose from the dead he spent 40 days with his friends whilst all the time knowing that after this period of time he would be leaving them for good. He wanted to go home to his Father and he was ready to leave. However, he also desired to remain with his friends in a deeply personal and intimate way and, indeed, with all who would ever follow him over the centuries to come,
He had already devised such a way and had given a hint of it when he ate his last meal with his friends before his arrest and death. During the course of the Last Supper he took some bread, blessed it and gave God thanks for it. He then shared it out amongst his friends saying, “Take it and eat it, this is my body”. Then he took the cup of wine, blessed it and gave it to his friends to share, saying, “Drink it, all of you, this is my blood” (Matt 26:26-28). He then gave them a very clear directive, "Do this in memory of me". Jesus was saying that whenever his friends re-enacted this scene in the future, he would make himself present, absolutely and truly, in the form of bread and wine: that the bread would become his Body and the wine his Blood.
Therefore, at every single Mass which has been celebrated all over the world since that time, Jesus is made present and we have the opportunity to be with him and to come into his presence again and again and again.
The Mass, therefore, presents us with a wonderful opportunity to be with Jesus. If you were given the opportunity to come face to face with him who holds the world in the palm of his hand and who has supreme power over your life, what would you want to say to him? What would you want to ask of him? My imagination runs riot at the very thought - there is so much I want to say to him, so much that I want his help with, so many people I want him to come to in a special way … where shall I stop?
What would Jesus say to me? Perhaps he would say, “I love you so much that I don’t want you to go through life without me. I want to be with you in all your troubles and difficulties. There is so much I can do for you and give to you when you come to me in Holy Communion. There is much that I can do for your loved ones when you intercede for them through this special time in my presence. I am giving myself to you so that you may be empowered to be the person I want you to be, a good and truthful person, someone of courage and faith, love and kindness, a person of humility and joy, a person who wants to become like me…."
We all know how wonderful it is to be with someone who loves us. We feel supported, protected, encouraged and affirmed. We learn to be tolerant and patient, understanding and gentle. We become grateful for our loved one and for all who love us. Of all the virtues, love is the most powerful and the most healing, and in the sacrament of Holy Communion, Jesus is giving us an expression of his love.
Jesus wants us to feel this love. He wants to be with us and through that being together he wants us to be empowered to live the life he wants us to live, to become more like him and transformed by him.
When people have lived together for some time, it is interesting to see how they gradually become very similar in nature and character. They share the same likes and dislikes, the same sense of humour and ways of doing things. Our relationship with Jesus is no different: the longer we spend in his company and the more often we come to be with him particularly in Holy Communion, the more we will become like him.
There is a lovely passage in a book by Sister Briege McKenna which illustrates beautifully the effect of coming into the presence of Jesus, particularly through this sacrament….
"I was just looking at the Blessed Sacrament and adoring Jesus and telling him I didn't have much to say except that I loved him. I felt as though the Lord said to me, "Well, don't you know that you don't have to say anything to me? Just be with me. Come into my presence. It's not what you do for me, it's what I want to do for you." Then I got an image of a person going out of his house and sitting in the sun. As he sat in the sun, he didn't do a thing, but he started to change colour. People who saw him knew he had been in the sun because his skin showed it. The man knew it too, because he felt the effects of the sun: the warmth and the light. I heard the Lord saying, "So it is when you come into my presence. You will experience the effects of your time spent with me. People will see it in your actions". From "Miracles do Happen" by Briege McKenna OSC (ISBN 0-86217-253-5)
It is important to remember that when Jesus comes to us in Holy Communion, he is not fragmenting himself into thousands of little pieces. Rather, he is absorbing us into himself. To the degree that he shared in our humanity, he shares his divinity with us. All who come to share in the Sacrament of Holy Communion are being absorbed into Jesus - we are becoming one body with him. That is an extraordinary thought and immediately begs the question "If God is absorbing us into Himself, what are we being empowered to do or become?"
We are being empowered to grow in love, faith, trustfulness, humility, self-control, patience, goodness, joy and kindness. Perhaps God is calling you, personally, to carry out some special task which is only yours to do?
In Holy Communion, or Corpus Christi, Jesus comes to us not with a mighty trumpet blast or glorious alleluias, but as he came into the world in the first place, humbly. He comes in the form of a humble wafer of bread and drop of wine. His great hope is that, in return, we will bring ourselves, humbly, into his presence.
Above all, Corpus Christi is a celebration that, despite Jesus' walking this earth 2,000 years ago, despite his death and despite his leaving for heaven, He is still with us. This truth is, indeed, worthy of many 'alleluias'.
It is one of the most important celebrations because it is a remembrance and affirmation of the most powerful of Jesus’ parting gifts to mankind: the gift of Himself. We are not talking about some vague notion of Jesus' being with us spiritually (which he is), but actually present with us.
After Jesus rose from the dead he spent 40 days with his friends whilst all the time knowing that after this period of time he would be leaving them for good. He wanted to go home to his Father and he was ready to leave. However, he also desired to remain with his friends in a deeply personal and intimate way and, indeed, with all who would ever follow him over the centuries to come,
He had already devised such a way and had given a hint of it when he ate his last meal with his friends before his arrest and death. During the course of the Last Supper he took some bread, blessed it and gave God thanks for it. He then shared it out amongst his friends saying, “Take it and eat it, this is my body”. Then he took the cup of wine, blessed it and gave it to his friends to share, saying, “Drink it, all of you, this is my blood” (Matt 26:26-28). He then gave them a very clear directive, "Do this in memory of me". Jesus was saying that whenever his friends re-enacted this scene in the future, he would make himself present, absolutely and truly, in the form of bread and wine: that the bread would become his Body and the wine his Blood.
Therefore, at every single Mass which has been celebrated all over the world since that time, Jesus is made present and we have the opportunity to be with him and to come into his presence again and again and again.
The Mass, therefore, presents us with a wonderful opportunity to be with Jesus. If you were given the opportunity to come face to face with him who holds the world in the palm of his hand and who has supreme power over your life, what would you want to say to him? What would you want to ask of him? My imagination runs riot at the very thought - there is so much I want to say to him, so much that I want his help with, so many people I want him to come to in a special way … where shall I stop?
What would Jesus say to me? Perhaps he would say, “I love you so much that I don’t want you to go through life without me. I want to be with you in all your troubles and difficulties. There is so much I can do for you and give to you when you come to me in Holy Communion. There is much that I can do for your loved ones when you intercede for them through this special time in my presence. I am giving myself to you so that you may be empowered to be the person I want you to be, a good and truthful person, someone of courage and faith, love and kindness, a person of humility and joy, a person who wants to become like me…."
We all know how wonderful it is to be with someone who loves us. We feel supported, protected, encouraged and affirmed. We learn to be tolerant and patient, understanding and gentle. We become grateful for our loved one and for all who love us. Of all the virtues, love is the most powerful and the most healing, and in the sacrament of Holy Communion, Jesus is giving us an expression of his love.
Jesus wants us to feel this love. He wants to be with us and through that being together he wants us to be empowered to live the life he wants us to live, to become more like him and transformed by him.
When people have lived together for some time, it is interesting to see how they gradually become very similar in nature and character. They share the same likes and dislikes, the same sense of humour and ways of doing things. Our relationship with Jesus is no different: the longer we spend in his company and the more often we come to be with him particularly in Holy Communion, the more we will become like him.
There is a lovely passage in a book by Sister Briege McKenna which illustrates beautifully the effect of coming into the presence of Jesus, particularly through this sacrament….
"I was just looking at the Blessed Sacrament and adoring Jesus and telling him I didn't have much to say except that I loved him. I felt as though the Lord said to me, "Well, don't you know that you don't have to say anything to me? Just be with me. Come into my presence. It's not what you do for me, it's what I want to do for you." Then I got an image of a person going out of his house and sitting in the sun. As he sat in the sun, he didn't do a thing, but he started to change colour. People who saw him knew he had been in the sun because his skin showed it. The man knew it too, because he felt the effects of the sun: the warmth and the light. I heard the Lord saying, "So it is when you come into my presence. You will experience the effects of your time spent with me. People will see it in your actions". From "Miracles do Happen" by Briege McKenna OSC (ISBN 0-86217-253-5)
It is important to remember that when Jesus comes to us in Holy Communion, he is not fragmenting himself into thousands of little pieces. Rather, he is absorbing us into himself. To the degree that he shared in our humanity, he shares his divinity with us. All who come to share in the Sacrament of Holy Communion are being absorbed into Jesus - we are becoming one body with him. That is an extraordinary thought and immediately begs the question "If God is absorbing us into Himself, what are we being empowered to do or become?"
We are being empowered to grow in love, faith, trustfulness, humility, self-control, patience, goodness, joy and kindness. Perhaps God is calling you, personally, to carry out some special task which is only yours to do?
In Holy Communion, or Corpus Christi, Jesus comes to us not with a mighty trumpet blast or glorious alleluias, but as he came into the world in the first place, humbly. He comes in the form of a humble wafer of bread and drop of wine. His great hope is that, in return, we will bring ourselves, humbly, into his presence.
Above all, Corpus Christi is a celebration that, despite Jesus' walking this earth 2,000 years ago, despite his death and despite his leaving for heaven, He is still with us. This truth is, indeed, worthy of many 'alleluias'.
The Ascension ... where am I in this story?
The amazing thing about the Gospels - and the myriad of stories contained within them - is that there is not a story or passage in which we are not included somehow: we are there, in them all, somewhere and somehow!
We learn to live the Gospel life - the life that Jesus wants us to live - by allowing ourselves to enter into the Gospel, and we can begin to do this by asking ourselves of any particular scene or story:
- Where am I in this scene?
- What aspects of it can I relate to?
- Is there any part of it that relates to my own life and experience?
- What is Jesus trying to tell me?
- What are the other people in this scene trying to tell me?
We will very soon be celebrating the first important event after Easter and which has a direct message for us: the Feast of the Ascension. The occasions of both the Ascension and Pentecost are inextricably linked not only to each other, but also to us, individually and personally. There are two aspects of the Ascension which have something to say to us and to which we can all relate:
- the sadness and inevitability of losing someone we love, and
- the inevitability of our own passage from this life into the next
If we have lost someone we love, we can relate to the disciples' complete despair at losing Jesus not just once, but twice. Their first experience of grief, when Jesus was killed and left in a tomb, was soon to turn to unadulterated joy and celebration by his appearing among them again, in the flesh, just days after his death. Just pause for a moment and try to imagine what this must have felt like: imagine if one of your loved ones came back from the dead - your heart would be filled to bursting with joy and you would never wish to go through the pain of losing them again.
The time between Christ's resurrection and ascension must therefore have been a deeply precious time for them all: were they able to say to Jesus all the things they wished they had said before he was crucified? Were they more open with Jesus about their love, affection and gratitude for him? Did Peter rejoice to have the opportunity to apologise, personally, to him for having denied him three times? What questions should this raise for us?
- Do my family and friends know that I love them?
- Am I truly grateful for the gift of companionship?
- Do I work hard enough to heal divisions caused by disagreement?
- Do I treasure my own friendship with Jesus?
- What is my friendship with Jesus like?
- Am I careful not to make it all take and no give?
This was a precious time for the disciples: they must have had a renewed sense of gratitude for him and for the gift of his friendship and we can only guess at what profound sadness they were filled with at the prospect of losing Jesus for a second time.
Jesus, though, made it very clear that his going had a real purpose and that not only they, but generations to come - you and me - would benefit by his going to the Father. What was this purpose?
Firstly, and apart from anything else, it was time for Jesus to go home to his beloved Father: "If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father - the world must know that I love the Father" (John 14:28). He quite simply wanted to go home.
How hard it is to let someone we love go, but this is what Jesus is telling us in this scene: he knows the anguish that separation through death brings, but he wants us to be reassured that our departure from this world - and the departure of our loved ones - is nothing other than going home. His friends were quick to understand what he was saying and were clearly comforted by this, for they "went back to Jerusalem, filled with great joy" (Luke24:52).
Secondly, he knew that unless he went home to his Father in heaven he would not be able to bring about the promised baptism with the Holy Spirit: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift I told you about, the gift my Father promised…… in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:4-5). This must have been a source of excitement, encouragement and comfort for his friends, though they could not possibly have guessed what this baptism with the Holy Spirit was going to do for and with them.
Lastly, he was going ahead of us to prepare a place in heaven for each of us: "I am going now to prepare a place for you…." (John 14:2). Having blazed a trail through death, he was now going ahead to make ready a place for us in heaven: what more could we possibly ask of him?
"But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me…to the ends of the earth." After saying this, he was taken up to heaven as they watched him, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
(Acts 1:8)
And so, Jesus departed and his friends waited…….
We learn to live the Gospel life - the life that Jesus wants us to live - by allowing ourselves to enter into the Gospel, and we can begin to do this by asking ourselves of any particular scene or story:
- Where am I in this scene?
- What aspects of it can I relate to?
- Is there any part of it that relates to my own life and experience?
- What is Jesus trying to tell me?
- What are the other people in this scene trying to tell me?
We will very soon be celebrating the first important event after Easter and which has a direct message for us: the Feast of the Ascension. The occasions of both the Ascension and Pentecost are inextricably linked not only to each other, but also to us, individually and personally. There are two aspects of the Ascension which have something to say to us and to which we can all relate:
- the sadness and inevitability of losing someone we love, and
- the inevitability of our own passage from this life into the next
If we have lost someone we love, we can relate to the disciples' complete despair at losing Jesus not just once, but twice. Their first experience of grief, when Jesus was killed and left in a tomb, was soon to turn to unadulterated joy and celebration by his appearing among them again, in the flesh, just days after his death. Just pause for a moment and try to imagine what this must have felt like: imagine if one of your loved ones came back from the dead - your heart would be filled to bursting with joy and you would never wish to go through the pain of losing them again.
The time between Christ's resurrection and ascension must therefore have been a deeply precious time for them all: were they able to say to Jesus all the things they wished they had said before he was crucified? Were they more open with Jesus about their love, affection and gratitude for him? Did Peter rejoice to have the opportunity to apologise, personally, to him for having denied him three times? What questions should this raise for us?
- Do my family and friends know that I love them?
- Am I truly grateful for the gift of companionship?
- Do I work hard enough to heal divisions caused by disagreement?
- Do I treasure my own friendship with Jesus?
- What is my friendship with Jesus like?
- Am I careful not to make it all take and no give?
This was a precious time for the disciples: they must have had a renewed sense of gratitude for him and for the gift of his friendship and we can only guess at what profound sadness they were filled with at the prospect of losing Jesus for a second time.
Jesus, though, made it very clear that his going had a real purpose and that not only they, but generations to come - you and me - would benefit by his going to the Father. What was this purpose?
Firstly, and apart from anything else, it was time for Jesus to go home to his beloved Father: "If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father - the world must know that I love the Father" (John 14:28). He quite simply wanted to go home.
How hard it is to let someone we love go, but this is what Jesus is telling us in this scene: he knows the anguish that separation through death brings, but he wants us to be reassured that our departure from this world - and the departure of our loved ones - is nothing other than going home. His friends were quick to understand what he was saying and were clearly comforted by this, for they "went back to Jerusalem, filled with great joy" (Luke24:52).
Secondly, he knew that unless he went home to his Father in heaven he would not be able to bring about the promised baptism with the Holy Spirit: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift I told you about, the gift my Father promised…… in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:4-5). This must have been a source of excitement, encouragement and comfort for his friends, though they could not possibly have guessed what this baptism with the Holy Spirit was going to do for and with them.
Lastly, he was going ahead of us to prepare a place in heaven for each of us: "I am going now to prepare a place for you…." (John 14:2). Having blazed a trail through death, he was now going ahead to make ready a place for us in heaven: what more could we possibly ask of him?
"But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me…to the ends of the earth." After saying this, he was taken up to heaven as they watched him, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
(Acts 1:8)
And so, Jesus departed and his friends waited…….
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