The Resurrection Of JESUS Is A Fact

"Let me remind you, brothers and sisters, of the Good News that I preached to you and which you received and on which you stand firm.  By that Gospel you are saved, provided that you hold to it as I preached it.  Otherwise, you will have believed in vain.

In the first place, I have passed on to you what I myself received: that CHRIST died for our sins, as Scripture says; that HE was buried; that HE was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures; that HE appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve.  Afterwards HE appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters together; most of them are still alive, although some have already gone to rest.  Then HE appeared to James and after that to all the apostles.  And last of all, HE appeared to the most despicable of them, this is to me." - 1 Corinthians 15:1-8  

(Have we heard the response to a last question of the Corinthians?  Many Greeks thought that at death the immortal soul leaves the body and remains alone.  Was it admitted to the paradise of souls?  Did it come to the great reservoir of souls already gone or who were to return, forgetting all the past lived on earth?  Others held [as do a good number of Christians today], that all ends with death: see 1 Thessalonians 5:13.  Paul will therefore remind the Corinthians that faith in the resurrection is at the heart of the Christian message.

I remind you of the gospel.  Here certainly we may speak of Good News, for death as something unknown is and always has been the great burden of human life [Sirach 40:1].

I have passed onto you.  Paul will not recall a tale, or a "myth," these stories full of wisdom that abounded with the Greeks.  They bared an order in the world, a meaning of life, but were only stories.  Today certain people speak of the resurrection in the same way.  They say: "It matters little what took place, the gospels are not directly interested in what happened to JESUS, for them it was important that strange events would give courage to the disciples and the hope of another life."  Paul says precisely the contrary: the resurrection of JESUS is a fact.)

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As The FATHER Has Loved ME, So I Have Loved You.

"As the FATHER has loved ME, so I have loved you.  Remain in MY love!  You will remain in MY love if you keep MY commandments, just as I have kept MY FATHER's commandments and remain in HIS love.

I have told you all this, that MY own joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete." - John 15:9-11 

(After making it clear that we depend totally on HIM, JESUS repeats HIS commandment of love.  There is a necessary order in building the Christian life.

If from the start we say: We should love our neighbor because this is the only commandment, we will achieve nothing; because each one understands love in his own way, while not having as yet interiorized the thinking of CHRIST.  Moreover, we need to receive from the source of all love the ability to love selflessly.  CHRIST asks us to first share HIS thinking: that is what the expression, keep MY commandments means.  Thus, we become HIS friends, knowing HIM as a person who loves us and acts in us.  Later we will produce the authentic fruit of love, whose source is CHRIST.)

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Greeting To Jerusalem

 "I rejoiced with those who said to me,

'Let us go to the house of YAHWEH!'

And now we have set foot 

within your gates, O Jerusalem!

Jerusalem, just like a city,

where everything falls into place!

There, the tribes go up,

the tribes of YAHWEH, the assembly of Israel,

to give thanks to YAHWEH's name.

There stand the courts of justice,

the offices of the house of David."

- Psalm 122:1-2. 3-4. 4.5

(Joy of the pilgrim who reaches his goal at last--Jerusalem, elected home of GOD, venerable in the tradition of Israel.  Here is a deep sense of homecoming and of pride in that home.  We of the world-wide 'Israel of GOD' have no city to house us all; we are 'of the household of the faith' [Galatians 6:10].  But we have the brothers and sisters whom JESUS promised to those in HIS company [Mark 9:30]; we have a home which we call 'the Church.'  It stands scarred with years of siege but, by GOD's grace, compact and dignified by the marks of resistance.  We may take pride in it because the strength of its walls is from GOD.  It will never have peace from without; let us pray and work for its peace within, which is 'the love of brethren.')

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For The FATHER Is Greater Than I

"Peace be with you; I give you, MY peace.  Not as the world gives peace do I give it to you.  Do not be troubled; do not be afraid.  You heard ME say: 'I AM going away, but I AM coming to you.'  If you loved ME, you would be glad that I go to the FATHER, for the FATHER is greater than I.

I have told you this now before it takes place, so that when it does happen you may believe.  It is very little what I may still tell you, for the prince of this world is at hand, although there is nothing in ME that HE can claim.  But see, the world must know that I love the FATHER and that I do what the FATHER has taught ME to do.  Come now, let us go." - John 14:27-31 

  

(For the FATHER is greater than I.  This does not contradict what John teaches throughout the whole Gospel about JESUS' divinity.  This is to be read together with 5:18; 10:30; 16:15, if we want to know something of the mystery of CHRIST, "true GOD," as spoken of in Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13 and 1 John 5:20.

As early as the fourth century Saint Hilary, the great bishop and defender of the faith, wrote: "The FATHER is greater because of being the one who gives.  As HE gives the Son all that HE HIMSELF is, yet the Son is not inferior to the FATHER."

Moreover, it is characteristic of the Son to deny HIMSELF so that HE may give glory to the FATHER, until the FATHER gives HIM back "the Glory HE had before" as said in 17:5 and 6:62.  Because of this the apostles, who have seen HIM as a man among humans in the time of HIS humiliation, should now rejoice.)

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The Paraclete (Helper)

"Whoever keeps MY commandments is the one who loves ME.  If he loves ME, he will also be loved by MY FATHER; I too shall love him and show MYSELF clearly to him.

Judas--not Judas Iscariot--asked JESUS, 'LORD, how can it be that YOU will show YOURSELF clearly to us and not to the world?'  JESUS answered him, 'If anyone loves ME, he will keep MY word and MY FATHER will love him; and WE will come to him and live with him.  But if anyone does not love ME, he will not keep MY words; and these words that you hear are not MINE, but the FATHER's who sent ME.

I told you all this while I AM still with you.  From now on the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the FATHER will send in MY name, will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I have told you." - John 14:21-26 

 

(The Helper [or Interpreter] will teach you.  The Spirit enables us to understand and interpret JESUS' words throughout all time.

LORD, how can it be that YOU will show YOURSELF clearly to us and not to the world?  Judas thought that JESUS meant HE would summon them for secret meetings, but JESUS really meant HE would make HIMSELF known to them through interior teaching and by letting them experience peace.

The Holy Spirit whom the FATHER will send in MY name.  The Holy Spirit proceeds as much from the FATHER as from the Son being, with them, only one GOD.  JESUS refers to the Holy Spirit whom HE calls the Paraclete.  This Greek word has several meanings.  Here we use Helper.  The Spirit helps the believers and inspires their prayer so that it may be heard [Romans 8:26].)

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The Vine And The Branches

"I AM the true vine, and MY FATHER is the vine grower.  If any of MY branches doesn't bear fruit, HE breaks it off; and HE prunes every branch that does bear fruit, that it may bear even more fruit.

You are already made clean by the word I have spoken to you.  Live in ME as I live in you.  The branch cannot bear fruit by itself, but has to remain part of the vine; so neither can you, if you don't remain in ME.

I AM the vine, and you are the branches.  As long as you remain in ME and I in you, you bear much fruit; but apart from ME you can do nothing.  Whoever does not remain in ME is thrown away, as they do with branches, and they wither.  Then they are gathered and thrown into the fire and burned.

If you remain in ME and MY words remain in you, you may ask whatever you want, and it will be given to you.  MY FATHER is glorified when you bear much fruit: it is then that you become MY disciples." - John 15:1-8  

(JESUS uses an image from the Scripture, but HE changes the original meaning, as HE did before when speaking of the Good Shepherd [John 10:1].  The vine represents the people of Israel.  Planted from selected stock, cared for by the LORD, it should have produced fruits of justice [Mark 12:1].

Now the true Vine has taken root.  CHRIST is the trunk from which the branches sprout, that is to say, all of us who live by HIM.  HE is also the entire plant, trunk and branches together: Christians are really the body of CHRIST.

Now JESUS does not say: The Christian community is the vine, but: I AM the vine.  So, each of us has to consider how he is joined with JESUS through faith, prayer, and keeping HIS word.  Each one has to bear fruit.  JESUS does not specify what these fruits should be: whether service, understanding, action for social justice, or a life silently offered to GOD.  Rather HE insists that these fruits should come from the Spirit and bear HIS proper seal.  The success of the Church is not measured by its achievements, but by the progress of those who interiorize CHRIST's mystery and share in HIS cross and resurrection.)

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All Those Destined For Everlasting Life

"The following Sabbath almost the entire city gathered to listen to Paul, who spoke a fairly long time about the LORD.  But the presence of such a crowd made the Jews jealous.  So they began to oppose, with insults, whatever Paul said.

Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out firmly, saying, 'It was necessary, that GOD's word be first proclaimed to you, but since you now reject it, and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we turn to non-Jewish people.  For thus we were commanded by the LORD: I have set you as a light to the pagan nations, so that you may bring MY salvation to the ends of the earth.'

Those who were not Jews rejoiced, when they heard this, and praised the message of the LORD; and all those, destined for everlasting life, believed in it.  Thus, the word spread, throughout the whole region.

Some of the Jews, however, incited God-fearing women of the upper class, and the leading men of the city, as well, and stirred up an intense persecution against Paul and Barnabas.  Finally, they had them expelled from their region.  The apostles shook the dust from their feet, in protest against this people, and went to Iconium, leaving; the disciples, filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. - Acts 13:44-52  

(All those destined for everlasting life.  This expression does not condemn those who have not believed.  It simply states that the coming to faith was a gift for those believers: GOD entered their life and made them bearers of a current of divine life that would transform the world [John 17:3].)

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I'M Going To The FATHER

"'Do not be troubled!  Trust in GOD and trust in ME!  In MY FATHER's house there are many rooms; otherwise, I would not have told you that I go to prepare a place for you.  After I have gone and prepared a place for you, I shall come again and take you to ME, so that where I AM, you also may be.  Yet you know the way where I AM going.'

Thomas said to HIM, 'LORD, we don't know where YOU are going; how can we know the way?'  JESUS said, 'I AM the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the FATHER but through ME.'" - John 14:1-6  

(JESUS ascension to the FATHER was not just an individual achievement but opened for all of us a way to our house, not situated high above us, but in GOD.  There are many mansions, that means that there is also a place for us: not just one mansion for everybody, but a place for each one, because Heaven is not like a performance which is the same for everyone in the audience.  GOD's radiance will draw from each one the resonance only HE can bring forth.  Each one will be in his own mansion, being in communion with all.

Now, knowing what the goal is, we should walk towards this definitive communion.  "I AM the way," says JESUS.  HE became human precisely so that we might see the FATHER in HIM.  HE followed HIS way, so disconcerting for us, so that, meditating on HIS actions, we would progress towards the truth.  Although in the beginning we may not understand HIM well, with time, we will discover the LORD and understand that HIS way is ours.  Passing through the cross and death, we will achieve our own truth and arrive at life.)

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Proclaim The Good News To All Creation!

"Then HE told them, 'Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation.  The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned.  Signs like these will accompany those who have believed: in MY name they will cast out demons and speak new languages; they will pick up snakes, and if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.'

So then, after speaking to them, the LORD JESUS was taken up into heaven and took HIS place at the right hand of GOD.  The Eleven went forth and preached everywhere, while the LORD worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it." - Mark 16:15-20 

 

(The Good News is the seed that will be planted in the world and will flourish, in its proper time, in every field of human endeavor.  Salvation is not a matter of saving isolated souls or individual beings.  The Gospel is to be proclaimed to all creation in all activities and acts of those who have been renewed by baptism.  They are to be the yeast that transforms human history.)

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Harvest Song

  "May GOD be gracious and bless us;

may HE let HIS face shine upon us;

that YOUR way be known on earth

and YOUR salvation, among the nations.

May the countries be glad and sing for joy,

for YOU rule the peoples with justice;

and guide the nations of the world.

May the peoples praise YOU, O GOD,

may all the peoples praise YOU!

May GOD bless us and be revered,

to the very ends of the earth."

- Psalm 67:2-3. 5. 6. 8

(The occasion of this happy song is a successful harvest, but the psalmist can rise above selfish considerations.  The triumph of a good harvest--or industrial prosperity--should make one think of places, where the harvest fails.  GOD is the same GOD there, and man no less HIS image.  If GOD rules the whole world with justice, man must try to imitate HIM.  Ecumenism and economics are sometimes the same thing.  The blessing of the psalm takes us to the beginning of the letter to the Ephesians [Ephesians 1:3].  We can pray with this psalm, to give thanks to GOD for the goods of the earth.)

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