How Do We Prove That We Are GOD's Children?

"See what singular love the FATHER has for us: we are called children of GOD, and we really are.  This is why the world does not know us, because it did not know HIM.

Beloved, we are GOD's children, and what we shall has not, yet, been shown.  Yet, when HE appears in HIS glory, we know, that we shall be like HIM, for, then, we shall see HIM as HE is.  All who have such a hope, try to be pure, as HE is pure." - 1 John 3:1-3 

(Here begins the second part of the letter: we are GOD's children and we must live as such.  How do we prove that we are GOD's children?  According to the same criteria that we have already seen: breaking away from sin, keeping the commandment of love, proclaiming our faith.  There are many ways of saying we are GOD's children.  One person might simply think: "GOD loves people" means that human beings have great dignity.  Here John calls our attention to two points:

- you are sons and daughters, but in order to become like GOD, do not seek anything else but to be perfect as GOD is perfect;

- you are children who will return to the FATHER.  Do you really think about the unique and transcendent  end for which GOD has chosen you?  Being aware of this, let us understand that GOD purifies us in a thousand ways, because only in this way can we attain our goal.

We shall be like HIM sharing all that GOD is and somehow becoming GOD with GOD [see 1 Corinthians 13:13].  Those who now bear their lives of suffering with CHRIST will be transfigured like HIM [Mark 9:2-3; Colossians 3:4].  Then the universe will reach its goal, having the children of GOD as its center [Romans 8:19] or better, the New Creature.)

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Be Strong In The LORD

"Finally, be strong in the LORD, with HIS energy and strength.  Put on the whole armor of GOD, to be able to resist the cunning of the devil.  Our battle is not against human forces, but against the rulers and authorities and their dark powers, that govern this world.  We are struggling against the spirits and supernatural forces of evil.

Therefore, put on the whole armor of GOD, that, in the evil day, you may resist, and stand your ground, making use of all your weapons.  Take truth as your belt, justice as your breastplate, and zeal as your shoes, to propagate the gospel of peace.  Always hold in your hand, the shield of faith, to repel the flaming arrows of the devil.  Finally, use the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, that is, the word of GOD.

Pray at all times, as the Spirit inspires you.  Keep watch, together with sustained prayer and supplication for all the holy ones.  Pray, also, for me, so that when I speak, I may be given words, to proclaim bravely, the mystery of the gospel.  Even when in chains, I am an ambassador of GOD; may HE give me the strength to speak as I should." - Ephesians 6:10-20  

(Paul has said what he had to say.  What does his invitation to be strong mean, when he takes his examples from military life?  Is it because he feels the Christians of Ephesus are not sufficiently strong.  Paul invites them, without saying it, to compare their situation with his.  Free or slaves, most of them were people of modest means of the cities near Ephesus.  Subjected for a long time to the Roman Empire that imposed peace on them, they were free of serious problems.  They were not rich, but they were able to content themselves with little.  Under a Mediterranean sky they had abundant light and a friendly, natural environment.  They found the faith at a time when it cost them little; what would they do the day the Empire became an obstacle and when suddenly they would be classed a bad lot, responsible for all that was wrong?

This is why Paul warns them: peace is only provisional, for the demon is waiting for his hour.  Paul asks them to persevere in prayer: the only effective arms against evil are those that CHRIST has left us: truth, faith, the word of GOD... and if they believe they have found salvation, let them exert themselves to evangelize others.)

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Children, Parents, Servants And Masters

"Children, obey your parents for this is right: Honor your father and your mother.  And this is the first commandment that has promise: that you may be happy and enjoy long life in the land.  And you, fathers, do not make rebels of your children, but educate them by correction and instruction which the LORD may inspire.

Servants, obey your masters of this world with fear and respect, with simplicity of heart, as if obeying CHRIST.  Do not serve only when you are watched or in order to please others but become servants of CHRIST who do GOD's will with all your heart.  Work willingly, for the LORD and not for humans, mindful that the good each one has done, whether servant or free, will be rewarded by the LORD.

And you, masters, deal with your servants in the same way, and do not threaten them, since you know that they and you have the same LORD who is in heaven, and HE treats all fairly." - Ephesians 6:1-9  

(Paul reminds children that GOD asks for obedience, and parents that they must not neglect their duty as educators.  Parents have the difficult task of leading their children to true freedom, teaching them first to obey a law, to serve rather than be served, to share rather than demand.  Later, they will show them how to follow the calls of the Spirit, well beyond what is considered good or bad all around them.

Paul reminds the slave of his nobility.  Let him live without servility: this is the first step toward genuine liberation.)  

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Husbands, Love Your Wives

"Let all kinds of submission to one another, become obedience to CHRIST.  So, wives, to their husbands, as to the LORD.

The husband is the head of his wife, as CHRIST is the head of the church, HIS body, of whom HE is also the Savior.  And as the church submits to CHRIST, so let a wife submit in everything to her husband. 

As for you, husbands, love your wives as CHRIST loved the Church and gave HIMSELF up for her.  HE washed her and made her holy by baptism in the Word.  As HE wanted a radiant Church without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless, HE HIMSELF had to prepare and present her to HIMSELF.

In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies.  He who loves his wife loves himself.  And no one has ever hated his body; he feeds and takes care of it.  That is just what CHRIST does for the Church, because we are members of HIS body.

Scripture says: Because of this a man shall leave his father and mother to be united with his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.  This is a very great mystery, and I refer to CHRIST and the Church.  As for you, let each one love his wife as himself, and let the wife respect her husband." - Ephesians 5:21-33 

(HE gave HIMSELF up for her.  CHRIST finds us in our sins, and HE takes charge of us, even to the ultimate consequences: HE gives HIS life to purify us.  This is the way to show the main quality of Christian love, which is faithfulness.  The self-gift of the spouse is permanent and from that moment on, each will do his best to save the other, that is, to help the other grow and be better.  The perfect couple is not the one that lives without problems and accepts mediocrity, but the two who compel each other to give their best.

HE washed her by the baptism in the Word [see James 1:18-21 and John 15:3].  If the ritual of baptism is important, what is even more important is for us to welcome the Word of GOD that gives us life.

Many young people flee marriage, partly because they fear a risk [total fidelity is indeed a way of losing one's life: Mark 8:35], partly because they consider that their love is their own business.  Paul shows that CHRIST's love for us, however personal it may be, never forgets HIS love for all those who make up HIS body.  It is an example: married Christians are invited to have their place in the transformation of the world through the radiation of their love and their service to others.)

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The True Temple Of GOD

"Now you are no longer strangers or guests, but fellow citizens of the holy people: you are of the household of GOD.  You are the house whose foundations are the apostles and prophets, and whose cornerstone is CHRIST JESUS.  In HIM the whole structure is joined together and rises to be a holy temple in the LORD.  In HIM you too are being built to become the spiritual sanctuary of GOD." - Ephesians 2:19-22   

(You are of the household of GOD.  In Biblical language this means: to belong to GOD's family.  From there, Paul moves on to another image: you are the household, namely, the true temple of GOD.  The community of believers form the temple, or better, is being transformed into the temple of GOD.

The imposing vision of the Church and our unity in the Church will perhaps astonish many Christians today who are usually more aware of their responsibilities towards the world than towards our antiquated Church.  Yet, of what Spirit shall we be bearers, and shall we do this work if we are not supported by a community?  Solidarity with those who share our options and our culture cannot replace participation in the Christian community.  There are probably many things in the Christian community we are not happy with.  However, it would be a bad sign if we were unable to recognize in it the truth that is missing in our non-Christian friends, and without which we would lose our reason for living.)

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The Blind Man Of Jericho

"They came to Jericho.  As JESUS was leaving Jericho with HIS disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.  On hearing that it was JESUS of Nazareth passing by, he began to call out, 'Son of David, JESUS, have mercy on me!'  Many people scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he shouted all the louder. 'Son of David, have mercy on me!'

JESUS stopped and said, 'Call him.'  So they called the blind man, saying, 'Take heart!  Get up, HE is calling you!'  He immediately threw aside his cloak, jumped up and went to JESUS.

Then JESUS asked him, 'What do you want ME to do for you?'  The blind man said, 'Master, let me see again!'  And JESUS said to him, 'Go your way, your faith has made you well.'  And, immediately, he could see, and he followed JESUS along the road." - Mark 10:46-52 

(GOD is the one who moves us to ask something of HIM.  The blind man understands that if he lets this opportunity go by, there will not be another chance, which is why he shouts all the more while the rest try to silence him.

Son of David!  was a way of designating the Messiah.)

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The Fig Tree Without Fruit

"One day some persons told JESUS what had occurred in the Temple:  Pilate had Galileans killed and their blood mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.  JESUS replied, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this?  I tell you: no. But unless you change your ways, you will all perish as they did.

And those eighteen persons in Siloah who were crushed when the tower fell, do you think they were more guilty than all the others in Jerusalem?  I tell you: no.  But unless you change your ways, you will all perish as they did.'

And JESUS continued with this story, 'A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard and he came looking for fruit on it but found none.  Then he said to the gardener: 'Look here, for three years now I have been looking for figs on this tree and I have found none.  Cut it down, why should it use up the ground?'  The gardener replied:  'Leave it one more year, so that I may dig around it and add some fertilizer; and perhaps it will bear fruit from now on.  But if it doesn't, you can cut it down'." - Luke 13:1-9  

(In this passage JESUS questions the idea we have of GOD's punishment.  We cannot believe in GOD without believing in justice.  For the Greeks whose gods were capricious and not very honest, justice was a divine power superior to the gods.  We always tend to make ourselves the center of the world and believe we are better than others.  If misfortune falls on someone else, we think it is just, but when it is our turn, we ask:  "What have I done against GOD that this should happen to me?"

The Gospel deals with several aspects of the question.  First of all, let us try to free of a ghetto mentality [see Luke 6:32]:  the evil done by our enemies is not worse than the evil we do.

The justice of GOD goes far beyond our justice and is only really fulfilled in the next life [the case of Lazarus, Luke 16:19]. 

 

The misfortune, which to us here below appears as the "punishment of GOD," is no more than a sign, a pedagogical measure used by GOD to make us aware of our sin.  And GOD often converts a sinner by granting him unexpected favors [see the case of Zaccheus, Luke 19:1].

 

Then why is there so much about GOD's punishment in the Old Testament?  GOD's people did not know yet an afterlife, so it was necessary to speak of GOD's punishment in this life, for these people to believe in HIS justice.  In fact, GOD continues to give such signs both for persons and for communities.  It is good to know how to recognize them, keeping in mind they are not the last word of GOD's justice.)

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We Shall Become The Perfect Creation

"Therefore, I, the prisoner of CHRIST, invite you, to live the vocation you have received.  Be humble, kind, patient, and bear with one another in love.

Make every effort to keep, among you, the unity of spirit, through bonds of peace.  Let there be one body, and one Spirit, just as one hope is the goal of your calling by GOD.  One LORD, one faith, one baptism; one GOD, the FATHER of all, who is above all, and works through all, and is in all." - Ephesians 4:1-6 

 

(Here, Paul returns to an important problem in communities where the style was still very free, we might say very charismatic, since the community counted on the unpredictable action of the Spirit through the charisms of different members.  It is necessary that all in their own vocation work for the building up of the one body.  Paul enthusiastically names all that we have in common through CHRIST and the action of the Spirit.  It is not merely a temple that is constructed [see Chapter 2:19-22]; it is the Body of CHRIST, of the Perfect Man, the mature one, in which CHRIST expresses HIS fullness.)

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I Have Come To Bring Fire Upon The Earth, And How I Wish It Were Already Kindled!

"I have come to bring fire upon the earth and how I wish it were already kindled!  But I have a baptism to undergo and what anguish I feel until it is finished! 

Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth?  No, I tell you, but rather division.  From now on, in one house five will be divided: three against two, and two against three.  They will be divided, father against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." - Luke 12:49-53 

(I have come to bring fire.  Must we think of fire as referring to something precise such as love, the Gospel or the gift of the Holy Spirit?  It is better to stay with the image of the fire that purifies, burns all that is old, gives warmth and fosters life; fire of the judgment of GOD destroying all that is not surrendered to its reforming action.

JESUS comes to remake the world and to bring the jewels that will remain for eternity out of the rubble.  Those who follow JESUS must participate in this work of salvation, directed at a situation combining work, violence, suffering as well as great dreams wise or mad.

I have a baptism to undergo...  JESUS is the leader and will be the first one to face death as a means of obtaining resurrection.  This step, as "agonizing" for JESUS as it is for us, is the baptism of fire that introduces us into a glorious and eternal life.  It is the true baptism of which the others, baptisms of water and Spirit, are only a preparation.

I have come to bring division.  This is followed by words of JESUS that are so upsetting for those who expect of HIM a peaceful life.  JESUS is a source of division among nations and social groups.  Often people have tried to use religion as cement for national unity or family peace.  It is true that faith is a factor in peace and understanding; but it also separates those who are truly alive from those others, be they relatives or friends, who cannot have all that is now the most important to these true believers.  Many times, the wound and the scandal of this separation are so painful for them, that they turn into our persecutors.

The Gospel does not put this world on the road to an earthly paradise, but it challenges it to grow.  The death of JESUS brings into full light what was hidden in hearts; likewise, it reveals the lies and the violence underlying our societies, just as it revealed those which underlay the Jewish Society of HIS time.) 

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The Son Of Man Will Come At An Hour You Do Not Expect

"Pay attention to this: If the master of the house had known at what time the thief would come, he would not have let his house be broken into.  You also must be ready, for the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.

Peter said, 'LORD, did YOU tell this parable only for us, or for everyone?'  And the LORD replied, 'Imagine, then, the wise and faithful steward whom the master sets over his other servants to give them food rations at the proper time.  Fortunate is this servant if his master on coming home finds him doing his work.  Truly, I say to you, the master will put him in charge of all his property.

But it may be that the steward thinks: 'My Lord delays in coming,' and he begins to abuse the menservants and the servant girls, eating and drinking and getting drunk.  Then the master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he doesn't know.  He will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful.

The servant who knew his master's will, but did not prepare to do what his master wanted, will be punished with sound blows; but the one who did what deserved a punishment without knowing it shall receive fewer blows.  Much will be required of the one who has been given much, and more will be asked of the one entrusted with more." - Luke 12:39-48  

(The Son of Man will come like a thief.  We should not think that this refers only to the day of death, nor should we be afraid of GOD's judgment if we live in HIS grace.  JESUS tells us about the master returning from the wedding, who is so happy that he reverses the usual order and begins to serve his servants.  If we have been serving GOD for years, how could we not reach another phase of spiritual life in which it would seem that GOD is concerned only in giving and feasting with us?

Peter said to HIM.  This new paragraph is aimed at those who hold responsible positions in the Church.

My Lord delays in coming.  Those in responsible positions may betray their mission.  More often, they make the mistake of seeing only to the good functioning of the institution and they forget that CHRIST is coming.

GOD comes all the time through events that, unexpectedly, ruin our plans.  Therefore, the Church must not rely too much on planning its activity: who knows what GOD has in store for us tomorrow?

Instead the Church should see to its prayer and its availability so that the LORD will let her be in the best situation when HE shakes up our little universe.

Be awake to admire, rejoice in and discover the presence of GOD and HIS blessings that enlighten our lives.) 

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Happy Are Those Servants Whom The Master Finds Wide-Awake

"Be ready, dressed for service, and keep your lamps lit, like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding.  As soon as he comes and knocks, they will open the door to him.  Happy are those servants whom the master finds wide-awake when he comes.  Truly, I tell you, he will put on an apron, and have them sit at table, and he will wait on them.  Happy are those servants, if he finds them awake when he comes at midnight or daybreak!" - Luke 12:35-38   

(JESUS develops the parable of the servant expecting his master's return.  This servant is here contrasted with the rich of the preceding paragraph [12:13] who was only concerned about a long and comfortable life.  The servant works for GOD.

Happy are those servants whom the master finds wide-awake.  Wide-awake, that is, concerned about tomorrow's world.  Wide-awake also means being aware of the truth; we do not consent to call 'good' evil, and 'evil' good; we do not forgive ourselves for allowing evil and we are not intimidated before injustice.)

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Greed!

"Someone in the crowd spoke to JESUS, 'Master, tell my brother to share with me the family inheritance.'  HE replied, 'My friend, who has appointed ME as your judge or your attorney?'  Then JESUS said to the people, 'Be on your guard and avoid every kind of greed, for even though you have many possessions, it is not that which gives you life.' 

And JESUS continued with this story, 'There was a rich man, and his land had produced a good harvest.  He thought:  'What shall I do?  For I am short of room to store my harvest.'  So this is what he planned:  'I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones to store all this grain, which is my wealth.  Then I may say to myself:  My friend, you have a lot of good things put by for many years.  Rest, eat, drink and enjoy yourself.'  But GOD said to him:  'You fool!  This very night your life will be taken from you.  Tell ME who shall get all you have put aside?  This is the lot of the one who stores up riches for himself and is not wealthy in the eyes of GOD'." - Luke 12:13-21  

(Who has appointed me as your judge?  JESUS does not resolve legal differences as do the teachers of the Law since it was the Law that decided civil and religious questions.  JESUS reserves HIS authority for what is essential:  suppressing the greed ingrained in our hearts is more important than looking at every person's right with a magnifying glass.

 

Avoid every kind of greed.   JESUS does not say people should be resigned to mediocrity or destitution, satisfied to have ten people sleep in the same room, and without any opportunity for education.  We know that all this prevents the growth of people in awareness of their dignity and their divine vocation.  JESUS does not criticize our efforts to achieve a more just society, since the whole Bible requires it.

 

It is one thing to seek justice, knowing that without justice there is neither peace nor communion; it is quite another to look at what others have with the desire to share their greed.  Today we clamor for justice, but tomorrow we may only seek more superfluous "necessities".  Such greed will never let us rest and, what is more, it will close the door of the Kingdom on us.

 

Possessions do not give life.  Make sure that your concern to have what you lack does not make you neglect what could give you life now.

 

In this regard, we should allow the poor to speak, all those brothers and sisters of ours who, though immersed in poverty, continue to be persons who live, in the strongest sense of this word.  Should we pity them, or should we count them among the few who already enjoy the Kingdom of GOD?  One of the greatest obstacles preventing the liberation of people is their own greed.  The day they agree to participate in powerful boycotts and not go their own way in the pursuit of advantages for one or other category, they shall begin to live as people.
 

 What shall I do?  The rich man in the parable planned for larger barns for his sole profit and JESUS condemned him.  We too must consider what we should do to bring about a better distribution of the riches of the world.

 

The person who amasses for GOD knows how to find happiness in the present moment.  Wherever she is, she tries to create a network of social relationships through which everyone gives to others and receives from them instead of wanting and getting things in a selfish way.)

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HE Makes HIMSELF An Offering For Sin

 "Yet it was the will of YAHWEH to crush HIM with grief.

When HE makes HIMSELF an offering for sin,

HE will have a long life and see HIS descendants.

Through HIM the will of YAHWEH is done.

For the anguish HE suffered,

HE will see the light and obtain perfect knowledge.

MY just servant will justify the multitude;

HE will bear and take away their guilt."

- Isaiah 53:10-11

(HE makes HIMSELF an offering for sin.  In several passages of the Scriptures, we are invited to adopt this same attitude when we suffer unjustly [1 Peter 1:20; 4:13].  CHRIST alone has perfectly fulfilled this redemptive mission from the beginning to the end of HIS life [Hebrews 10; John 2:29; Romans 5:6].

MY just servant will justify the multitude: that is to say, HE will make them just and holy.  The Hebrew text reads "the many," which means the multitude.  JESUS refers to this text at the Last Supper: "MY blood poured out for many," or for everyone [Mark 14:24].  There JESUS clearly says that HIS death is the free and perfect sacrifice foretold in this song.)

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GOD Has Put All Things Under The Feet Of CHRIST

 

"I have been told of your faith and your affection toward all the believers, so I always give thanks to GOD, remembering you in my prayers.

May the GOD of CHRIST JESUS our LORD, the FATHER of Glory, reveal HIMSELF to you and give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, that you may know HIM.

May HE enlighten your inner vision, that you may appreciate the things we hope for, since we were called by GOD.

May you know how great the inheritance is, the glory, GOD sets apart for HIS saints; may you understand with what extraordinary power HE acts in favor of us who believe.

HE revealed HIS almighty power in CHRIST when HE raised HIM from the dead and had HIM sit at HIS right hand in heaven, far above all rule, power, authority, dominion, or any other supernatural force that could be named, not only in this world but in the world to come as well.

Thus has GOD put all things under the feet of CHRIST and set HIM above all things, as head of the Church, which is HIS body, the fullness of HIM who fills all in all." - Ephesians 1:15-23

(Far above all power.  In Paul's days neither Jews nor Christians doubted that the world was governed by supernatural powers, "angels."  They called them: Rulers, Powers, Authorities, Dominion, and Paul was saying to them: all these Powers are inferior to CHRIST.  In our days we express ourselves differently.  Nevertheless, we see the universe subject to the laws of nature, to the forces of matter and of life.  It is also subject to obscure forces: collective prejudices, vice and fanaticism.  These ruled the world, preventing the emergence of humanity, until the coming of CHRIST.

GOD has put all things under the feet of CHRIST.  This means the same as the words of our creed: "JESUS is seated at the right hand of GOD."  It means that in rising, CHRIST, the GOD-Human became the First in the universe.  All things under HIS feet except humankind.)

Paul adds: "HE made HIM head of the Church."  CHRIST acts differently in two areas: in the world, where HE is the invisible center in charge; in the Church, of which HE is the head, where HE can show the riches of HIS Spirit.)

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Praise Of GOD's Grandeur

 "All YOUR works will give YOU thanks; all YOUR saints, O YAHWEH, will praise YOU.

They will tell of the glory of YOUR kingdom; and speak of YOUR power, that all may know of YOUR mighty deeds, YOUR reign, and its glorious splendor.

YOUR reign is from age to age; YOUR dominion endures, from generation to generation.

Righteous is YAHWEH in all HIS ways, HIS mercy shows in all HIS deeds.

HE is near those who call on HIM, who call trustfully upon HIS name."

- Psalm 145:10-11. 12-13. 17-18

(When we reflect on what GOD has done for us, we remember that this is what GOD has always done; our lives are borne along on the unending stream of divine love.  To the eternal GOD, eternal praise be given.

Therefore, all we have to do is ask believing that HE will grant it to us, and we will receive all that we ask for.)

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Humanity Has Found The Way To Liberation And Salvation

"Sing to YAHWEH a new song, for HE has done wonders; HIS right hand, HIS holy arm, has won victory for HIM.

YAHWEH has shown HIS salvation, revealing HIS justice to the nations.

HE has not forgotten HIS love, nor HIS faithfulness to Israel.  The farthest ends of the earth all have seen GOD's saving power.

All you, lands, make a joyful noise to YAHWEH, break into song and sing praise, with melody of the lyre and with music of the harp.

With trumpet blast and sound of the horn, rejoice before the King, YAHWEH!"

- Psalm 98:1. 2-3. 3-4. 5-6

(Humanity has found the way to liberation and salvation.  It is in the coming of CHRIST, GOD-made-man and in HIS resurrection.

For the LORD came down to earth, showed us HIS love and also HIS death and resurrection, the path to eternal salvation.)

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Two Ways Of Living

"Blessed is the man 

who does not go where the wicked gather,

or stand in the way of sinners,

or sit where the scoffers sit!

Instead, he finds delight in the law of YAHWEH

and meditates day and night 

on HIS commandments.

He is like a tree beside a brook

producing its fruit in due season,

its leaves never withering.

Everything he does is a success.

But it is different with the wicked.

They are like chaff

driven away by the wind.

For YAHWEH knows the way of the righteous

but cuts off the way of the wicked."

- Psalm 1:1-2. 3. 4. 6

(The sharp contrast between the virtuous and the wicked is characteristic of the Hebrew thought and its uncompromising literary expression.  The psalmist was conscious of the mixture of good and bad in himself and in others around him.  As St. Paul said much later--and he spoke for everyone--'I can want to do what is right, but I am unable to do it' [Romans 7:18].  Aware of this tension in ourselves, we recite this psalm with a feeling of hypocrisy.  This is no proclamation of one's own virtue but a constant self-reminder that we all have a choice.  We may never reach the extremes either of virtue or of vice, but we are at every moment making for one or the other.  It is salutary to remind ourselves what the end of each road is.  It is better still to remember that we have a powerful companion along the virtuous road, but along the wicked one, we are alone.) 

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Woe To You, Pharisees!

"As JESUS was speaking, a Pharisee asked HIM to have a meal with him.  So,
HE went and sat at table.  The Pharisee then wondered why JESUS did not first wash HIS hands before dinner.  But the LORD said to him, 'So then, you Pharisees, you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside yourselves you are full of greed and evil.  Fools!  HE who made the outside, also made the inside.  But according to you, by the mere giving of alms everything is made clean'." - Luke 11:37-41   

 

(Scripture does not demand these ritual purifications that Mark also mentions in 7:3, but the teachers of JESUS' time insisted they were necessary.  JESUS rebels against these new religious obligations.  Why do they not pay more attention to inner purification?) 

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The Comparison Of Sarah And Hagar

"It says that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman, the other by the free woman, his wife.  The son of the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of GOD's promise.

Here we have an allegory and the figures of two covenants.  The first is the one from Mount Sinai, represented through Hagar: her children have slavery for their lot.  We know that Hagar was from Mount Sinai in Arabia: she stands for the present city of Jerusalem which is in slavery with her children.

But the Jerusalem above, who is our mother, is free.  And Scripture says of her: Rejoice, barren woman without children, break forth in shouts of joy, you who do not know the pains of childbirth, for many shall be the children of the forsaken mother, more than of the married woman.

You, dearly beloved, are children of the promise, like Isaac.  But as at that time the child born according to the flesh persecuted Isaac, who was born according to the spirit, so is it now.  And what does Scripture say?  Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave cannot share the inheritance with the son of the free woman.

Brethren, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

CHRIST freed us to make us really free.  So, remain firm and do not submit again the yoke of slavery." - Galatians 4:22-5:1  

At the start of sacred history is Abraham's faith and the promise GOD made to him.  It should be noted that this promise was not to be inherited in the same way as family goods, which had to be distributed among all the children.  The promise will not come to Ishmael born like any other.  [Paul says: "born according to the flesh".]  Rather, what GOD promised was only destined for the son of promise, Isaac: the one who was born through a miraculous and free intervention of GOD.  Thus, from the very beginning of the Bible, we see that we do not come to faith and to GOD's inheritance because we have a right to them, but through grace.

By clinging to their religious observances, the Jews were forgetting that they were, above all, the people of the promise.  Chosen by GOD in preference to other people, their mission was to announce that there are promises of GOD for all nations.  They were wrong in thinking thus: since we are chosen by GOD, let everyone do what we do and observe our practices.  Instead, they should have shared their hopes with others; they should have taught others to believe in GOD's promise and not put their trust in particular religious practices.

Hagar, the slave woman who gave birth to Ishmael, ancestor of the Arabs, becomes the image of the people of the first covenant, people who received the Law on Mount Sinai in Arabia: they did not achieve true freedom and held the earthly Jerusalem as their capital.

While Sarah, the free woman, with her son Isaac, born according to the divine promise, represents GOD's new covenant with those who believe in HIS promises.  These are the free people, the Christians who wait for the heavenly Jerusalem.

Ishmael persecuted Isaac and Abraham sent him away.  This means: the inadequately converted Jews are disturbing the Galatians; the Church, then, has to send them away.)

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I Prayed And Wisdom Was Given To Me

"I prayed and understanding was given to me; I asked earnestly, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me.

I preferred her to scepters and thrones, and I considered wealth as nothing compared with her.

I preferred her to any jewel of inestimable value, since gold beside her is nothing but a few grains of sand, and silver but mud.  I loved her more than wealth and beauty and even preferred her to light, because her radiance never dies.

She brought with her all-other good things, untold riches in her hands." - Wisdom 7:7-11

 

(All this page is an invitation to seek Wisdom as one would seek a spouse: we remember that at this time sovereign rulers would "espouse" such and such divinity which allowed them at times to take possession, in the name of their spouse, of the treasures in its temple [2 Maccabees 1:14].  Seeking the Wisdom of GOD is no different from what we do when we speak of union with CHRIST: we must not forget that HE is uncreated Wisdom.  This communion is not a matter of something sentimental: it is the costly and never-ending search for the one who is the Truth.

I preferred her to any jewel of inestimable value.  See Matthew 13:44-45.)

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Blessed Is The One Who Gave YOU Birth!

"As JESUS was speaking, a woman spoke from the crowd and said to HIM, 'Blessed is the one who gave YOU birth and nursed YOU!'  JESUS replied, 'Truly blessed are those who hear the word of GOD and keep it as well.'" - Luke 11:27-28  

(Blessed is the one who gave YOU birth!  This woman envies the mother of JESUS and is full of admiration for HIS way of speaking.  She is mistaken if she thinks that JESUS' relatives can be proud on HIS account, and she is wasting her time if she admires HIS words instead of making them her own.  So JESUS turns her towards the FATHER, whose word HE gives, and to herself, whom GOD invites to the family of HIS sons and daughters.

As for Mary, the mother of JESUS, the one who believed [1:45], she kept all the words and deeds of the LORD in her heart [Luke 2:51].

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JESUS And Beelzebul

"One day JESUS was driving out a dumb demon.  When the demon had been driven out, the mute person could speak, and the people were amazed.  Yet some of them said, 'HE drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons.'  So, others wanted to put HIM to the test by asking HIM for a heavenly sign. 

But JESUS knew their thoughts and said to them, 'Every nation divided by civil war is on the road to ruin and will fall.  If Satan also is divided, his empire is coming to an end.  How can you say that I drive out demons by calling upon Beelzebul?  If I drive them out by Beelzebul, by whom do your fellow members drive out demons?  They will be your judge, then. 

But suppose I drive out demons by the finger of GOD; would not this mean that the kingdom of GOD has come upon you?  As long as the strong and armed man guards his house, his goods are safe.  But when a stronger one attacks and overcomes him, the challenger takes away all the weapons he relied on and disposes of his spoils.

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me, scatters.

When the evil spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through dry lands looking for a resting place.  And finding none, it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  When it comes, it finds the house swept and everything in order.  Then it goes to fetch seven other spirits even worse than itself.  They move in and settle there, so that the last state of that person is worse than the first.'" - Luke 11:14-26 

(HE drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul.  More than the healings, the exorcisms unsettled the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law.  They, the religious authorities, traveled from Jerusalem to see this JESUS for themselves.  The Jews of JESUS' time were obsessed with the belief that illness was a form of possession.  JESUS does not concern HIMSELF with distinguishing between illness and possession.  Actually, the Devil is behind all human misery.  Beelzebul, the name of an ancient idol, was a Jewish term for the Devil.

 

By the finger of GOD.  In Exodus 8:15, the same expression is used to designate the power of GOD working miracles.

 

Whoever is not with ME...  This phrase seems to contradict Luke 9:50:  Whoever is not against you is with you. In fact, in Luke 9:50, JESUS admits that HIS spiritual family goes much beyond the visible group of HIS disciples:  those who, without belonging to the church, work for the same goals, must be considered as friends.

 

In Luke 11:23, on the other hand, JESUS speaks of people who refuse to stand with HIM and HIS message and who want to remain uncommitted:  they do not join HIM, and later they will criticize HIM.

 

The Jews believed that evil spirits preferred to live in the desert or, rather, that GOD had banished them there.  Here JESUS is speaking of people who only believe for a while because they do not repent enough of their past sins.  They enjoyed listening to the word, but they did not take the costly measures that would have allowed them to heal the root of evil.)

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Knock And It Will Be Opened To You

"Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened.  For everyone who asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  Would any of you give a stone to your son, when he asks for bread?  Or give him a snake, when he asks for a fish?  However bad you may be, you know how to give good things to your children.  How much more, then, will your FATHER in heaven give good things to those who ask HIM!

So, do to others whatever you would that others do to you: there, you have the law and the prophets." - Matthew 7:7-12 

(Knock and it will be opened to you.  A page from Father Molinie is a commentary on this verse.  "If GOD does not open up at once, it is not because HE enjoys making us wait.  If we must persevere in prayer, it is not because we need a set number of invocations, but rather because a certain quality, a certain way of prayer is required.  If we were able to have that at the beginning, our prayer would be heard immediately.

"Prayer is the groaning of the Holy Spirit in us as Saint Paul says.  Yet, we need repetition for this groaning to open a path in our stony heart, just as the drop of water wastes away the hardest rocks.  When we have repeated the Our Father and the Hail Mary with perseverance, one day we can pray them in a way that is in perfect harmony with GOD's will.  HE HIMSELF was waiting for this groaning, the only one which can move HIM since, in fact, it comes from HIS own heart.

"As long as we have not played this note, or rather, drawn it from within, GOD cannot be conquered.  It is not that GOD defends HIMSELF since HE is pure tenderness and fluidity, but as long as there is nothing similar in us, the current cannot pass between HIM and us.  Man gets tired of praying, yet if he perseveres instead of losing heart, he will gradually let go of his pride until being exhausted and overcome, he obtains much more than he could have wished for.")

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LORD, Teach Us To Pray

"One day JESUS was praying in a certain place and when HE had finished, one of HIS disciples said to HIM, 'LORD, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.'  And JESUS said to them, 'When you pray, say this:

          FATHER, hallowed be YOUR name,

          may YOUR kingdom come,

          give us each day the kind of bread we need,

          and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive all who do us wrong,

          and do not bring us to the test'." - Luke 11:1-4   

(The apostles already knew how to pray and they prayed in common, as all the Jews did, in the synagogue and at key times during the day.  Yet, in living close to JESUS they discovered a new way to live in close fellowship and they felt a need to address the FATHER differently.  JESUS waited for them to ask HIM to teach them how to pray.)

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Martha And Mary

"As JESUS and HIS disciples were on their way, HE entered a village, and a woman called Martha welcomed HIM to her house.  She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the LORD's feet to listen to HIS words.  Martha, meanwhile, was busy with all the serving, and finally she said, 'LORD, don't YOU care that my sister has left me to do all the work?  Tell her to help me!'

But the LORD answered, 'Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her.'" - Luke 10:38-42  

(Many things seem to be necessary in a family: cleaning, preparing meals, looking after the children.  If there is no time to listen to others, what is life worth?  Perhaps we do many things in the service of GOD and our neighbor; only one thing nevertheless is necessary for us all: being available for JESUS when HE is present.

Mary has chosen the better part.  She followed only her instinct, but JESUS sees more: HE will not be there much longer, and in any case HIS presence among us is always brief.  Mary has been able to take hold of these brief moments when JESUS could be hers, and she is HIS while listening to HIM.)

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The Good Samaritan

"Then a teacher of the Law came and began putting JESUS to the test.  And he said, 'Master, what shall I do to receive eternal life?'  JESUS replied, 'What is written in the Scripture?  How do you understand it?'  The man answered, 'It is written:  You shall love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind.  And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  JESUS replied, 'What a good answer!  Do this and you shall live.'  The man wanted to keep up appearances, so he replied, 'Who is my neighbor?

JESUS then said, 'There was a man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell into the hands of robbers.  They stripped him and went off leaving him half-dead.

It happened that a priest was going along that road and saw the man, but passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite saw the man and passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, too, was going that way, and when he came upon the man, he was moved with compassion.  He went over to him and treated his wounds with oil and wine and wrapped them with bandages.  Then he put him on his mount and brought him to an inn where he took care of him.

The next day he had to set off, but he gave two silver coins to the innkeeper and told him:  'Take care of him and whatever you spend on him, I will repay when I come back.' 

JESUS then asked, 'Which of these three, do you think, made himself neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?'  The teacher of the Law answered, 'The one who had mercy on him.'  And JESUS said, 'Go then and do the same'." - Luke 10:25-37 

(Who is my neighbor?  The teacher of the Law expected to be given the precise limits of his obligation. Whom was he supposed to look after?  Members of his family?  People of his own race?  Or perhaps everybody?

 

It is significant that JESUS concludes HIS story with a different question:  Which of the three made himself neighbor?  It is as if HE said:  do not try to figure out who is your neighbor, listen instead to the call within you, and become a neighbor, be close to your brother or sister in need.  As long as we see the command to love as an obligation, we do not love as GOD wants.

 

Love does not consist simply in being moved by another person's distress.  Notice how the Samaritan stopped by in spite of it being a dangerous place, how he paid for the expenses and promised to take care of whatever else might be necessary.  Instead of just "being charitable" he took unconditional and uncalculated risks for a stranger.

 

On one occasion, Martin Luther King pointed out that love is not satisfied with comforting those who suffer:  "To begin with, we must be the good Samaritan to those who have fallen along the way.  This, however, is only the beginning.  Then, some day we will necessarily have to realize that the road to Jericho must be made in such a way that men and women are not constantly beaten and robbed while they are traveling along the paths of life."

 

With this example, JESUS also makes us see that, many times, those who seem to be religious officials, or who believe they fulfill the law, are incapable of loving.  It was a Samaritan, considered a heretic by the Jews, who took care of the wounded man.

 

For the Jews, neighbors were the members of Israel, their own people, dignified by sharing the same religion; in fact, this familial relationship came from "flesh and blood."  For JESUS, true love leads one to give up any discrimination.)

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The Origin Of Humanity

"YAHWEH GOD said, 'It is not good for Man to be alone; I will give him a helper who will be like him.'  Then YAHWEH GOD formed from the earth all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air and brought them to Man to see what he would call them; and whatever Man called every living creature, that was its name.

So Man gave names to all the cattle, the birds of the air and to every beast of the field.  But he did not find among them a helper like himself.  Then YAHWEH GOD caused a deep sleep to come over Man and he fell asleep.  HE took one of his ribs and filled its place with flesh.  The rib which YAHWEH GOD had taken from Man HE formed into a woman and brought her to the man.  The man then said, 'Now this is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.  She shall be called woman because she was taken from man.'  That is why man leaves his father and mother and is attached to his wife, and with her becomes one flesh." - Genesis 2:18-24 

(They become one flesh:  in Hebrew it means that they form one single being.  This union of the couple is part of their mission.  It is not a provisional agreement to enjoy each other, but the union of a family in which GOD's work is accomplished.  Therefore, the family will be fruitful and the two will give back to the large human family the treasure of humanity which they received from it.

We cannot reread this phrase without recalling the way it will be taken up in the Gospel [Matthew 19:15].  JESUS words on marriage are among HIS least understood words.

Yet the will of GOD was clear in this ancient text: the years of common life, the efforts to listen to each other, to understand and make decisions together, the capacity to forgive and persevere in fidelity, the shared risk in giving birth and educating a family: those are the means which, little by little, transform the man and the woman, enabling them to gain maturity and a sense of their responsibility.  And it is precisely that which GOD wishes to find in them at the end of their life when HE will be all for all.)

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JESUS Gives Thanks To The FATHER

"The seventy-two disciples returned full of joy.  They said, 'LORD, even the demons obeyed us when we called on YOUR name.'  Then JESUS replied, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  You see, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the Enemy, so that nothing will harm you.  Nevertheless, don't rejoice because the evil spirits submit to you; rejoice, rather, that your names are written in heaven.'

At that time, JESUS was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and said, 'I praise YOU, FAHER, LORD of heaven and earth, for YOU have hidden these things from the wise and learned and made them known to little ones.  Yes, FATHER, such has been YOUR gracious will.  I have been given all things by MY FATHER, so that no one knows the Son except the FATHER, and no one knows the FATHER except the Son, and HE to whom the Son chooses to reveal HIM.'

Then JESUS turned to HIS disciples and said to them privately, 'Fortunate are you to see what you see, for I tell you, that many prophets and kings would have liked to see what you see, but did not see it; and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.'" - Luke 10:17-24  

(At first, the person who preaches CHRIST and works for HIM is scared.  Then follows the joy of having surpassed oneself, and even more the joy of having believed and worked with the very power of JESUS.  JESUS gives thanks for the seventy [or seventy-two] and for all those who will follow HIM.

What are these things that GOD has revealed to the little ones but the mysterious power of the Gospel to transform people and show them the truth?  The apostles marvel at the power coming from the name of JESUS [Mark 16:17].  JESUS underlines the defeat of the Adversary, Satan.

The learned and the clever think they know, but do not know what is essential.  They speak of a GOD who is no more than a shadow of the true GOD as long as they do not recognize him in JESUS.  They do not know where the world is heading because they do not see how GOD's power is working wherever JESUS is being proclaimed. 

The little ones, on the other hand, have understood.  Before they saw themselves as a sacrificed generation.  For the little ones are used to sacrificing themselves for their children from generation to generation, or they are sacrificed by powers, under the pretext of bringing happiness to their descendants.  They did not live for themselves; rather they were preparing a place for others.  Now the little ones, namely, the humble believers, have everything if they have JESUS, the FATHER has given everything to HIM.

Little ones live their faith in simple ways, but they know that none of their sacrifices are lost.  It is JESUS who reveals the FATHER to us and knowing HIM in truth, we also share in HIS control over events.  Our desires and our prayers are powerful because we have come to the center from which GOD directs the forces saving humankind: because we work for eternity, our names are already written in heaven.

To evangelize does not mean to try to sell the Gospel but rather to prove its power to heal people from their demons.  We need not become activists in order to accomplish that.  We must admit that we have no power in these things, and we must give thanks to GOD who enabled us to see, to hear and to communicate HIS salvation.

Fortunate are you to see... Stop being envious of famous people, kings and prophets of the past.  You who are alive now, and who are neither kings nor prophets, have been given the better part.)

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The Hound Of Heaven

 "O YAHWEH, YOU know me:

YOU have scrutinized me.

YOU know when I sit and when I rise;

beforehand, YOU discern my thoughts.

YOU observe my activities and times of rest;

YOU are familiar with all my ways.

Where else could I go from YOUR Spirit?

Where could I flee from YOUR presence?

YOU are there, if I ascend the heavens;

YOU are there, if I descend to the depths.

If I ride on the wings of the dawn,

and settle on the far side of the sea,

even there, YOUR hand shall guide me,

and YOUR right hand shall hold me safely.

It was YOU who formed my inmost part

and knit me together in my mother's womb.

I thank YOU for these wonders YOU have done,

and my heart praises YOU, for YOUR marvelous deeds.

- Psalm 139:1-3. 7-8. 9-10. 13-14

(This wisdom meditation about the knowledge and the presence of GOD, perhaps, had its beginning in the face of the pressure of evildoers; someone has been unjustly accused, perhaps as idolatrous, and he appeals to GOD.  In this environment, he composes his poem.

The ways of GOD are unsearchable, HIS wisdom is an abyss [cf. Romans 11:33].  GOD gets close to us and embraces us, not to condemn us, but to guide our feet toward HIS love.  If we want to taste divine love and appreciate the dignity of man, it will do us good, to pray with this magnificent psalm.)

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