Fr. Tom Bartolomeo
The way of the cross: remember
By Fr. Tom Bartolomeo
God doesn't have a memory but we do. God doesn't need a memory but we do. God doesn't forget but we do. We read in Sacred Scripture that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever." (Hebrews 13: 8). God know everything all at once and doesn't need to recall anything. When Jesus took on, however, the nature of a human being living in time he separated himself from the eternal bliss and glory of his Father in heaven. That for Christ was the worst of punishments he didn't deserve much worse than being "driven into the desert by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil for forty days and forty nights" bad as that was. We should remember, too, that God is not the ruler of this world. Satan is. And some would unwittingly befriend Satan is this world. If we want to know who the cause of misery is in the world – there we have it. It is Satan who tempted Jesus in the desert. At his trial before his death Jesus told Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." (John 18:36.) The evening before his trial, conviction and condemnation to death Jesus explained what he was about to do:
It is one thing to be born in this world and endure its fleeting moments of temptation and grace and another thing to share in the fullness of the life of God. The totality of who God is, he told us – "I am who am" – is where God wants us to be – free from evil and distress in this passing world. (Exodus 3:14). We will never achieve this, however, without our remembering. It was so critically important that Jesus told us at his last supper, "Do this in memory of me." Without the Eucharist – and I am not talking about Holy Communion – without the Eucharist, the re-enactment and memorial of his death, resurrection and ascension into heaven we will have no future with God forever.
Jesus' Passover with his disciples was, we should remember, was the memorial of the Jews' release from four hundred and thirty years of slavery and is in our time the memorial and thanksgiving of humanity's release from the shackles of sin and passage to heaven. We should remember, too, that in God's mind, we were a "passing shadow," "a breath" described in the Psalm: "What is man that you regard him, O Lord, or the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. (Psalm 144: 3-5). The rituals and signs of the season of Lent, ashes on the forehead, penance and prayer only find their meaning and vitality in our actions which for many in Jesus' day were hypocritical empty gestures, a prescribed set of "sacrifices," and possibly things "we give up" believing they alone atone for our misdeeds displeasing to God. Without our corresponding "good works" our sacrifices may be spurned by God as well which the Psalmist wrote about:
For you [God] will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (Psalm 51: 16-17).
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you. (ibid. 10-13).
Recall, too, the incident when Jesus is questioned about the ritual of fasting by the disciples of John the Baptist who asked "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus answered, "The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast." (Matthew 9: 14-15). Later when the Baptist , again, sent his disciples, to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah, Jesus answered, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them." (Matthew 11: 4-5).
We are called in charity to support many commendable charitable efforts, but how much more charitable and personally profitable are the sacrifices of ourselves caring for others offering them not only our money but ourselves. What graces await the embattled single mother and child and ourselves, for example, sharing a meal together which in the end is the more lasting gift. With the savings we set aside by "giving up" some personal indulgence we may make this sacrifice an offering to another bringing us joy through our penitential act. No matter how fortunate or unfortunate our personal circumstances may be when we lighten the burdens of others we lighten our own burdens in the process. The Apostle Paul so frequently and unabashedly spoke about his personal care for others, joining his good prayers and work with the work and prayers of others. "When we could have been a burden to you [Paul wrote] we were unassuming like a mother feeding and looking after her own children, we felt so devoted and protective toward you, and had come to love you so much, that we were eager to hand over to you not only the Gospel but our whole lives as well." (1 Thessalonians 2:8). Paul understood how emotionally effective a generous spirit can be, "If we are being afflicted [he said] it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation." (2 Corinthians 1: 6-8).
We have entered the memorial of Lent, a time of penance and hope which the Apostle John so insightfully revealed in his gospel for our study and emulation, John 17–18. Keep in mind, Jesus' final words before his arrest and the beginning of his Stations of the Cross: "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. (John 17: 24-26).
© Fr. Tom Bartolomeo
March 9, 2014
God doesn't have a memory but we do. God doesn't need a memory but we do. God doesn't forget but we do. We read in Sacred Scripture that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever." (Hebrews 13: 8). God know everything all at once and doesn't need to recall anything. When Jesus took on, however, the nature of a human being living in time he separated himself from the eternal bliss and glory of his Father in heaven. That for Christ was the worst of punishments he didn't deserve much worse than being "driven into the desert by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil for forty days and forty nights" bad as that was. We should remember, too, that God is not the ruler of this world. Satan is. And some would unwittingly befriend Satan is this world. If we want to know who the cause of misery is in the world – there we have it. It is Satan who tempted Jesus in the desert. At his trial before his death Jesus told Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." (John 18:36.) The evening before his trial, conviction and condemnation to death Jesus explained what he was about to do:
-
Do not let your hearts be troubled . . . . You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father . . . . And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way. (John 14: 27-31).
It is one thing to be born in this world and endure its fleeting moments of temptation and grace and another thing to share in the fullness of the life of God. The totality of who God is, he told us – "I am who am" – is where God wants us to be – free from evil and distress in this passing world. (Exodus 3:14). We will never achieve this, however, without our remembering. It was so critically important that Jesus told us at his last supper, "Do this in memory of me." Without the Eucharist – and I am not talking about Holy Communion – without the Eucharist, the re-enactment and memorial of his death, resurrection and ascension into heaven we will have no future with God forever.
Jesus' Passover with his disciples was, we should remember, was the memorial of the Jews' release from four hundred and thirty years of slavery and is in our time the memorial and thanksgiving of humanity's release from the shackles of sin and passage to heaven. We should remember, too, that in God's mind, we were a "passing shadow," "a breath" described in the Psalm: "What is man that you regard him, O Lord, or the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. (Psalm 144: 3-5). The rituals and signs of the season of Lent, ashes on the forehead, penance and prayer only find their meaning and vitality in our actions which for many in Jesus' day were hypocritical empty gestures, a prescribed set of "sacrifices," and possibly things "we give up" believing they alone atone for our misdeeds displeasing to God. Without our corresponding "good works" our sacrifices may be spurned by God as well which the Psalmist wrote about:
For you [God] will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (Psalm 51: 16-17).
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you. (ibid. 10-13).
Recall, too, the incident when Jesus is questioned about the ritual of fasting by the disciples of John the Baptist who asked "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus answered, "The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast." (Matthew 9: 14-15). Later when the Baptist , again, sent his disciples, to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah, Jesus answered, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them." (Matthew 11: 4-5).
We are called in charity to support many commendable charitable efforts, but how much more charitable and personally profitable are the sacrifices of ourselves caring for others offering them not only our money but ourselves. What graces await the embattled single mother and child and ourselves, for example, sharing a meal together which in the end is the more lasting gift. With the savings we set aside by "giving up" some personal indulgence we may make this sacrifice an offering to another bringing us joy through our penitential act. No matter how fortunate or unfortunate our personal circumstances may be when we lighten the burdens of others we lighten our own burdens in the process. The Apostle Paul so frequently and unabashedly spoke about his personal care for others, joining his good prayers and work with the work and prayers of others. "When we could have been a burden to you [Paul wrote] we were unassuming like a mother feeding and looking after her own children, we felt so devoted and protective toward you, and had come to love you so much, that we were eager to hand over to you not only the Gospel but our whole lives as well." (1 Thessalonians 2:8). Paul understood how emotionally effective a generous spirit can be, "If we are being afflicted [he said] it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation." (2 Corinthians 1: 6-8).
We have entered the memorial of Lent, a time of penance and hope which the Apostle John so insightfully revealed in his gospel for our study and emulation, John 17–18. Keep in mind, Jesus' final words before his arrest and the beginning of his Stations of the Cross: "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. (John 17: 24-26).
© Fr. Tom Bartolomeo
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