It's All Greek to Me, Part II

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.       - John 14:16

I learned something new recently about this encouraging statement by our Savior.  

When I have read this passage before, I have always interpreted it as God was going to send us a different Entity.  Meaning, Jesus was there at that moment He was speaking to the disciples, and then God was going to send the Holy Spirit .... Someone very different than Jesus.  Why else would he say "another"?

That interpretation was in conflict with my belief in the Trinity, of course, and so there was a bit of an irreconcilable difference in my head.  

Until I learned a little Greek, that is! 

The English language has multiple definitions for another.  For example, a restaurant might tell you "Sorry, we are booked this evening ... please come back another day."  In that scenario another means a completely different day.  In contrast, one might say "That was delicious, I'll have another piece of that cake, please!"  In that scenario, another means more of the same.

Well, the Greek language uses two different words.  Allos, meaning the same kind, and heteros, meaning a different kind.  

The Greek word used in John's passage above is allos.  Thus, Jesus is telling his disciples the Lord is sending another Helper just like him. The Third Person in the Trinity!

God Bless you, and prayers that the Holy Spirit continues to strengthen us.

He Bows His Head, as if to Kiss You

A Glorious and Blessed Easter to all of you!

I came across this wonderful reflection from St Augustine of Hippo about St John's Passion, and wanted to share.  I can assure you I will not look at the cross the same way again!

As they were looking on, so we too gaze on his wounds as he hangs. We see his blood as he dies. We see the price offered by the redeemer, touch the scars of his resurrection. 

He bows his head, as if to kiss you.  His heart is made bare open, as it were, in love to you. His arms are extended that he may embrace you. His whole body is displayed for your redemption.

Ponder how great these things are.

Let all this be rightly weighed in your mind: as he was once fixed to the cross in every part of his body for you, so he may now be fixed in every part of your soul.

Ponder how great these things are, indeed.

God Bless you!

Looking at Lazaruz Through A Different Lens

When I get to a Gospel reading that I have heard many, many times - especially one that has a pretty clear message like today's Lazarus story - I try and find a new perspective.  

I usually look at the Lazarus story as a microcosm of our larger Faith story.  Jesus raises a man from the dead, much like He will be raised from the dead shortly thereafter.   His Apostles and other followers start to believe even more after watching the unthinkable happen right before their eyes... much like millions more will over the centuries that follow. Jesus talks about walking in the Light - a metaphor for all of us to follow the path that He illuminates for us.

And so on and so forth. 

Today I looked at this passage through a different lens - time.  

One of the things that struck me today was that both Martha and Mary say the same thing to Jesus ... basically that "if only You had been here our brother would be alive".  

In their view of the world, Jesus was not there when they wanted Him to be.  He was "late" by their clock.  Likewise the near-term outcome was not what they wanted either.  In their all-too-human plan, Jesus is with them when Lazarus falls ill and prevents him from dying. 

(On a side note, twice in this reading John tells us that Jesus was "perturbed".  That word really struck me.)

Jesus knew that not only were they going to get the outcome they wanted, but because it happened on HIS time, and not theirs, there would be an even greater good. They - like us - were thinking much too myopically.

In God's plan, this was a moment in time that could not only bring those present closer to Him, but one that would resonate for eternity.  

I hope you are having a Blessed Lent.


 

A Detail about Peter's "Rehabilitation" That You Might Not Have Noticed

This week's Gospel from John is a favorite.   

The Risen Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him three times - a beautiful scene to counter the Apostle's denial just days earlier.  

We've heard this reading many, many times before.  But there is a small, yet significant, detail in John's writing that I just learned this weekend.

When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with a fish on it and bread.

John made it a point to note the kind of fire that Jesus had set up. 

Do you know the only other time in the entire Bible that a charcoal fire appears?

Peter's denial of Christ.

And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold and they warmed themselves.  And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.

What a beautiful detail.  Jesus has returned Peter to the sight - and even the smell - of the event that wounded him so badly.  

And thus, while Our Rock left the first charcoal fire in shame, he leaves the second one a healed Shepherd.  


God Bless you.

About Those Sheep

Based on today's Gospel from John, I wanted to learn a bit more about sheep and shepherds to feel more in-tune with Jesus' teaching.  Here are some of the things l learned:

• Sheep are useless by themselves.  Completely.  Which is why shepherds pay such close attention to their flock.  (It is no irony that humans are also useless by themselves, and also need The Good Shepherd.)
• When a sheep starts to wander off, the shepherd may use a slingshot to shoot pebbles at it to get its attention.  (Think of all the signs that God sends our way when we wander off...)
• Sheep have excellent hearing.  Which, of course, helps them to know their Shepherd's voice.
• They can, however, also remember human faces for over a year. This is despite them being considered one of the dumbest animals on the planet.  (New research, by the way, disputes this, and states they could be as intelligent as monkeys.)
• When wolves attack a sheep, they often nip at it from behind.  Wolves are also capable of killing an entire flock, and scattering the remains over a large area.  Some experts believe they are capable of doing this just for fun.
• The right shepherd will lead the flock to better pasture (which was not always easy to find in Israel).  The wrong shepherd would lead the flock to a slaughterhouse for personal gain.  
• I read one article that stated from time to time, a sheep would get carried away by a river when crossing.  After being rescued by the shepherd, and returned to its flock, the other sheep would surround the shepherd and express their thankfulness with sounds of joy.  (This immediately brought to mind the parable of the Prodigal Son.)
• Even more fascinating, I read a story about a shepherd who did not have to count his sheep anymore.  He knew by "sense" if one had wandered off.  (And yet another one about a shepherd who could identify his sheep blindfolded just by feeling their face!)

Prayers that we always follow Jesus, our Good Shepherd, and that we always recognize His voice in a world of wolves.  God Bless you.
 

The Shortest Passage? It Depends.

Last week I posed the question:

What is the shortest passage in the New Testament?

Victor and Jade both took the time to answer (thank you!) and they were both right.

Kind of.

You see, there are different answers to this question depending on what Bible you are using.

In the King James Version of the Bible, John 11:35, Jesus wept, is indeed the shortest phrase.  

However, we all know the Bible was originally written in Greek.  And in Greek, John 11:35 is actually three words and 16 characters.  Luke 20:30, And the second, is actually the shortest passage in Greek, coming in at only 12 letters.   

In fact, there is even a second phrase that is shorter than John 11:35 in Greek. First Thessalonians 5:16, Be joyful always, is only 14 characters in Greek. 

Ironic how that phrase plays off of the King James line of Jesus weeping, isn't it?

By the way, the image of Jesus weeping is, in my mind, one of the saddest in all the Bible.  We often imagine God loving, caring, kind ... even angry.  But weeping?  It breaks your heart doesn't it?

God Bless you, and thank you for playing along with me.

You are his body

"Christ has no body now but yours.
No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.
Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours."
                                    - St. Theresa of Avila 


In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us He is the Way.  
This statement made such an impact on His followers, that after His death, they called themselves "Followers of the Way".  But they were more than that. 

And so are we. 

In Christ's physical absence, it was their job - and now ours - to show others the Way.

But St. Theresa's quote made me see this from another perspective. Aren't we also "the way" Christ shows His love to the world today?

A wonderful reminder, lest we forget what our first priority is here on Earth.

God Bless you.

Why The Thomas Story Makes Me Sad

I used to love the Doubting Thomas story. 

To me, it was always a microcosm of us.  We're all followers of Christ who go through periods of varying degrees of understanding - who eventually become passionate believers through the Resurrection.

Then one day I saw something in that story that made me very sad.

First, Jesus shows the eleven "his hands and sides".  Then, later, when Thomas arrives, he says "Put your finger here and see my hands".

This, of course, is meant to convince them that He was the same One who was nailed to the cross just days ago.  

But can't we look at that same image, and imagine God saying "Look at what you did. I came down from Heaven to live among you, and you pierced me"?  I mean, wouldn't the storybook version of the resurrected God have Him look pristine and whole?  

Think about that.    

God came here to live with us - which is unfathomable in its own right - and we thanked Him by putting nails into His hands.  

Who does that???  

Answer:  we do.

And by the way, how sad is it that it is these holes that finally help the Apostles (and us) believe.  Not some glorious piece of evidence, mind you, but icons of the suffering we put Him through.  

Yes, Christ showed us his scars so that the twelve, and eventually all of us, all may believe.  But for me it is also a very sad reminder of what our sins did to Him.  

God Bless you.

God's Time ≠ Our Time

There was one sentence in John's Gospel about Lazarus that stood out at me today.

Mary and Martha find Jesus and tell Him that Lazarus is very ill.  Yet, despite the fact that Jesus' friend - one He loves - is about to die, John tells us that Christ "remained for two days in the place He was".  

Another reminder for us that God will work His miracles, and reveal His story, on His timeline.  Not our human one.    

I hope you are having a Blessed Lent. 

Lenten Musings: Blindness, Recognition and the Light of the World

There was so much going through my head during today's reading from John (about Jesus healing a blind man) that I decided to do another bullet-point-format post today. 

• The people in Jesus' time thought worldly problems were a result of sin.  Jesus tells them those problems are so that "the works of God might be made visible".  I wonder if the same holds true today. We pout about all of our worldly problems.  Instead of looking at them as punishment, perhaps we should look at them as an opportunity for God to show His love in our lives. 
• "I am the light of the world" is one of my favorite lines from Jesus.  It conjures up such beautiful imagery.  It also reminds me of the hymn called "We are the light of the world" and how inspiring that is to sing.  I wish we all remembered that fact more often.
• When the blind man returned to his neighbors, many did not recognize him.  It dawned on me that after people have a spiritual encounter with the Lord, they become a different person.  Perhaps unrecognizable to those that knew them before.
• You did catch his response, by the way, when they ask him if he was the same beggar they think he is.  His Jesus-inspired answer was "I am."
• It is a small storyline in this passage, but it always bothered me how the parents of the blind man did not support him out of fear.  Another example of how earthly rules made everyone blind to God's real intentions.
• The blind man gets frustrated when the crowd asks him a second time how he regained his sight.  How frustrated God should be with all of us, that He has to tell us the same thing over and over ... and yet, His patience is incomprehensible!
• The Jews said "We know that God spoke to Moses but we do not know where this one is from." These kind of statements often baffle me.  The ancient Jews certainly had their periods of disbelief with Moses, but eventually decided he was one of God's chosen ones.  Yet, Jesus is right there in front of them working miracles, and the leaders never give Him a chance. He is a threat from day one. It is this blindness, in retrospect, that is so hard to understand.  (Of course, I say that knowing full well someone could look at my life and comment about how blind I have been.)

I hope you are all having a blessed Lent.

Musings on the Transfiguration

The Transfiguration is such a complex event, that I always have random thoughts going through my head while I read it.  Some are serious, some less so.  Rather than try to weave them into one coherent post, I thought I'd just jot a few of them down in short form.

• One question I always ask myself ... how did Peter, James and John know what Moses and Elijah looked like?  (Nametags? Did Jesus tell them afterwards?  Did they have divine inspiration?) 
• Someone once pointed out to me the contrasts between this event and the Crucifixion. They are eery.  Transfiguration: Jesus is up on a mountain, bathed in light, with His apostles around Him, and the voice of God praising Him.  Crucifixion:  Jesus is without clothes, nailed to a cross, with Peter and James nowhere to be found, two thiefs next to Him, and silence from God.
• We all lovingly smile at Peter's comment during this scene, but what often gets overlooked is that God cuts him off.  Matthew tells us that "while he was still speaking" God speaks. 
• Scholars argue whether the Transfiguration occured on Mt. Tabor or Mt. Hernon.  This might not matter to the casual reader, but to the apostles it would have.  Mt. Tabor is 1,886 feet high, while Mt. Hernon is almost 5x higher at 9,232 feet high!  
• Matthew does not mention this, but Luke does - the apostles were sleeping during part of this, and awoke to see the splendor.  It is a lovely thought with much symbolism ... the beauty we can see when God awakens us.
• Jesus asks Peter, James and John not to say anything to anyone until after He is risen.  How hard must that have been for them!  

I hope you are all having a Blessed Lent! 

Bread and Diets

Today's first reading about Elijah eating Heaven-sent bread, and Gospel reading about Jesus as the Bread of Life, both made me think of one thing ...

... it's a shame today's world is on such a low-carb diet.

God Bless.

What if John Acted Like Us?

All the celebrating of St. John the Baptist this weekend got me thinking ...


What if he acted like us?  


What if, instead of shouting the famous "Behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!", he said:


"Psst ... see that Guy?  He might be the Christ, but I'm not sure.  Let's wait and see if He gives us any proof."


or


"Hey guys ... huddle up for a minute ... see that Guy over there?  He is the Savior.  Now, don't say anything because we don't want to offend anyone, okay?"


or


"Wow, look, it's the Son of God!  I have to go do a couple of things, but hopefully He is still here when I'm done."


or


"Jesus!  You have finally come to us!  Here is a list of all the things I would like ..."




Thank goodness Jesus had St. John, instead of us, as His original herald.  


But the truth is, the Lord still needs us to proclaim to the world that He is here.   
Just better than we are doing now ...


God Bless.

What if They Never Mentioned It?

I sat pondering what I could post about the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.


I mean, what could I write that hasn't been written?
  
What else could I say about the most holy of Sacraments?


The only thought that kept popping in my head was ... what if no one wrote about it?


At first I laughed at myself, questioning how one of the most important events in history would go unrecorded.


But the more I thought about it, the more I decided it wasn't that improbable.  


After all, there is evidence that the early disciples did not understand everything Jesus did to the fullest.  (Heck, who is to say we even do!)  


What if they just second guessed what Jesus really meant?  It wasn't the easiest event to decipher in retrospect.  What if they just glossed over it during the mayhem that ensued shortly thereafter, forgetting the command to repeat that meal in memory of our Lord?  


And even if they didn't forget it, surely they thought twice about trying to explain to folks that normal bread and wine miraculously changed into the actual Body and Blood of a Carpenter, right?  


How about convincing people that eating the Body of their Teacher was not cannibalism?


Of course, I'm sure the Holy Spirit would have inspired them had they taken a different course.  


But as our priest held up the Blessed Host and uttered "Take this, all of you and eat it", I not only thanked our Savior as I always do, but I also thanked the Evangelists for passing on this most Blessed Sacrament through their writings.


God Bless.

What is Truth?

"What is truth?", Pilate asks Jesus.


This line has always bothered me as it's just left out there with no answer.  


Was he mocking Jesus?  Or really looking for an answer?  Did Jesus respond?  Did Pilate just walk away after asking it?  Was it rhetorical?  And why did John feel compelled to include that line in his Gospel?


Personally, I always assumed it was part rhetorical/part mocking.  


Just like I always assumed Pilate wrote Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews on the sign above our Lord purely to mock the High Priests.  


But this Triduum, I wondered if the two weren't related.  


And serious.


What if Pilate really was seeking the truth?  What if during that short window of time, Pilate realized that the Truth was Christ?  And that He was not only the King of the Jews, but the King of Kings?


A long shot, perhaps.  But one can hope.


Here's hoping this Easter brings more people closer to Jesus - the Way, the Truth, and the Life.   And special prayers for those that have left the church ... may the Risen Christ bring them back for good.


A very Happy and Blessed Easter to you and your families.  

Do We Point To Him Enough

In listening to the Gospel today, especially the part where Jesus tells us that a grain of wheat can produce much fruit after it dies, one word kept ringing in my mind ...

Legacy.

Obviously Jesus left the greatest legacy of all - Salvation.

But what about us?  

What is the "right amount" of legacy for us to leave?  What is realistic for us mere mortals?  What should we be aiming for?

Deep questions, I know.  It feels almost too big to wrap my simple mind around.

But there is a song by Nichole Nordeman, appropriately titled Legacy, where she asks:

Legacy (Woven & Spun Album Version)

How will they remember me?  

Did I choose to love?

Did I point to You enough to make a mark on things? 

Maybe it is as "simple" as those two questions.  

When people look back on our lives, will they say we followed God's greatest commandment and loved? 

And will they say we pointed to God, not just once in a while, but consistently enough so that we made a difference?

While those might not be the only two things we want to be remembered for, they are certainly excellent starting points.  

And what better time than this Lent to start working towards that goal.

God Bless.

Sometimes the Stars Just Align

And we get a reading like 
John 3:16 on a day like 
Father's Day.

God so loved the world that he gave his only son,
so that everyone that believes in Him might not perish
but might have eternal life.

There is nothing more to write really.

There is no better example for fathers ... or humans ... than that.

Thank you, Lord.

And Happy Father's Day to all you Fathers, Grandfathers, and Godfathers out there.

God Bless.

I'm It

I've been a bit remiss in fulfilling my meme duties over the past few weeks.

Victor tagged me during Lent to share 5 things I love about Jesus.   

And Karinann passed on a meme where I have to choose my three favorite Scripture verses. 

I think most of you that read this blog also read theirs, so I don't need to gush on about how wonderful both of them are.  But if you need me to just let me know ...

In any case, two memes are one too many for my simple mind to work on - so I'm going to break some rules and combine them.  

(sound of blogosphere gasping in unison)

I know, I know.  But here it goes.  I'm going to find my three favorite verses that show why I love Jesus.   

Drumroll please .... 

Number 3:  John 13:1-17

Jesus washes His disciples' feet.

I love Jesus not only because He showed great humility by performing this act, but because He did it to teach us.  Equally powerful, though, was when He did it.  On the night he was about to be handed over to death, He loved us enough to keep teaching.  How did He keep such focus?  Such a caring frame of mind?  It is beyond my comprehension - but certainly not taken for granted.

Number 2:   John 21:15-17

Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him three times.

We've all been guilty of doing or saying the wrong thing.  Remember how badly you wanted a do-over?  I can't imagine the guilt poor Peter must have been living with after denying our Lord three times.  Jesus lets him redeem himself in one of the most beautiful gestures in the entire Gospel.  

I love Him for showing me that same forgiveness.


Number 1:   1 Peter 2:21-24

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 
 
 “He committed no sin,
   and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
 
 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 

A perfect summary of the sacrifice Christ made for us.   It captures His innocence, His obedience, and His love.  

And, of course, it reminds me of the most important reason I love Jesus.

Thanks again to Victor and Karinann.

God Bless you.

Fifteen Percent

That is the percentage of Catholics - defined as all who were baptized - in our diocese that attend Mass weekly.

Fifteen percent.

Now I know that the Northeast tends to have the lowest attendance rate in the United States, but fifteen percent is still awfully depressing.   (I don't even want to think about what that number looks like if you take out those over 60 and under 18.) 

Interestingly enough, two weeks ago when we read the "Doubting Thomas" passage (Jn 20), I felt a strong parallel to those that were not at Mass.  Thomas had a hard time believing because he was not around the risen Jesus, or those that were celebrating Him.  He missed out on the joy and love they felt that day.

It's the same for the 85% of those that are not at Mass each week, hearing the Word and receiving the Eucharist.   

And so I continue to pray for them.  Not only because their eternal future depends on it, but because I want them to feel the overwhelming love and joy that Mass can bring. 

Sure, many of them think their lives are just fine without it.

But I doubt it.

The 2011 Bible

Do you ever find yourself shaking your head at people in the Bible?

I do all the time.

I shake my head at the people around Jesus for taking so long to realize who He was and what He was sent to do ... even though He gave them all the answers. 

I shake my head at the people who condemned Jesus despite all the good He was doing among them.

I shake my head at those who refused to believe Him - like some of those in today's Gospel that did not believe He gave sight to the blind man.

I shake my head at those who did not listen to Him, those that did not thank Him, and those that just couldn't be bothered with Him.

And then I remind myself that the Bible is a compilation of specific events that are pulled - and highlighted - from the rest of daily life.  

So I can only imagine what the 2011 Bible would look like, had the Evangelists written about specific events from my life and the world we live in now ...

John 148:29   "Despite the poor and suffering in his own town, Michael sat on his couch and watched a mindless FBI TV drama.  Others watched a show about twenty somethings worrying about how good their tan looked.  And still others, a show about rich women arguing over what to serve at their cocktail party."

Mark 79:1  "The Bible sat on Michael's coffee table while he read the latest issue of Sports Illustrated.  Worse yet (but not much), many people in that town did not even own a copy of this Blessed book.  The Word of God was among them to read, and they looked the other way."

Luke 100:3-8  "... Jesus suffered greatly so that sinners could be forgiven.  And yet Michael grumbled through one day of fasting, and was only half focused as he prayed the Rosary ...."

I can just imagine how badly future generations will be shaking their head at me...

God Bless.