Posted on 04/19/2004 8:33:36 PM PDT by Salvation
Thanks for your kind words. I trying to put up three or four a day. Should make it by Pentecost? Right?
John’s account of the Last Supper is unlike any of the other three Gospels. He makes no reference to the Bread and the Cup. The only action at the Last Supper in John’s account is the washing of the feet – which is not in any of the other Gospels.
After the washing of the feet, Jesus returns to the table and begins to speak to his disciples. It is called the “Last Supper Discourse”…and continues for nearly five chapters.
Most of the material in this discourse is found only in John’s Gospel. Commentators say that it surpasses in nobility and majesty the most solemn things Jesus ever said. John begins the Last Supper noting that Jesus “loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.” He is just hours away from death.
Becase of its depths, analysis can be very difficult – ask anyone who preaches at these weekday Masses. However, like a great work of art, it is best approached through prayerful meditation rather than intellectual analysis.
Several verses earlier, Jesus said, “My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.” He was referring to his death. (Actually, as they sit at the supper table, his death is less than 24 hours away.)
The disciples grow sad. But Jesus tells them that this is not bad news. It is good news.
• He is going home to his Father.
• His Father’s house is spacious and there is plenty of room for them.
• It is there home too. He will come back and bring them there to be with him.
• They will get to meet his Father.
• They will all be together again in a place where, after all those days on the road, they can settle in and stay forever.
Now that’s a different way of looking at death. Try it.
Not death in the abstract. My death.
Imagine Jesus saying those words to me, “Do not let your heart be troubled…”
“Amen” is a Hebrew word. The root means “to confirm, to support,” and the Jewish people used it to express a response of agreement to something that was said, somewhat the way it is used in response to evangelical preachers today.
To use it as Jesus did, at the beginningof a sentence (“Amen, I say to you…”) was unusual. It is not found on the lips of anyone in the New Testament except Jesus. Nor is it found in any early Church writings by others. Yet in the Gospels Jesus uses it 75 times.
What does this peculiar usage suggest? The “amen” Jesus uses to introduce something he is about to say is his assurance that he is not saying this on his own. It comes from the Father, and the Father guarantees the truth of what he is saying.
This relationship of Jesus to the Father is a particular emphasis of John’s Gospel…and it is only in John that Jesus uses a double “amen” – as in the passage in the next post.
The Last Supper Discourse continues with a remarkable statement by Jesus: “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do.” Jesus says it twice in this passage. (He will say it five more times in this Discourse.)
There is something very significant to notice here: The “you” is plural. In other words, Jesus is talking about his disciples (including future disciples) praying as a group – a believing, worshiping community.
Rabbis taught that when two or more believing Jews sat together to talk about the Law, the divine presence was with them. Jesus reworks that thought to say that when his disciples pray in his name, he is with them.
This has major implications for among other things, our celebration of the Eucharist. The rituals, Scripture readings, prayers, music, aren’t provided so that each of us as individuals can become absorbed in our own private prayer. There is a time and a place for that. But there is special power in a praying community, because Jesus is especially present in such a community.
This is an awareness we need to recover – a sense of the Lord present among us as a connected group, and a sense of the power of such prayer.
At Mass this evening or tomorrow, try to experience the presence and power of the Risen Lord in the entire assembly.
Before the Civil War started, the territory that was to become West Virginia was part of Virginia (a Confederate state.) By the time the war ended, West Virginia had become its own state and was part of the Union. Thus, the soldiers who returned home to West Virginia at the end of the war were from both sides, and there was great tension.
Anna Jarvis, who lost four of her children in the Civil War, organized a Mother’s Friendship Day in Prunytown, West Virginia, to bring peacefully together soldiers and neighbors of all political beliefs. It was a success.
A strong supporter of establishing a national Mother’s Day for peace was Julia Ward How, who had written the words to the ”Battle Hymn of the Republic.
She learned of Mrs. Jarvis’ efforts and worked to get formal recognition of a national Mother’s Day for Peace. She had seen up close the results of the war her song had glorified – maimed soldiers, disease, widows, orphans – and she was determined that women would join together to celebrate a day dedicated to the end of all war. She was unsuccessful, and died in 1910.
In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution designating May 8 as the first Mother’s Day. It made no reference to the theme of peace.
In the ninth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, Peter, who until now has been in Jerusalem, begins to travel outside the Holy City, bringing the Good News to others.
He goes to the city of Lydda, about 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Here is how Luke describes it:
As Peter was passing through every region, he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda. There he found a man name Aeneas, who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed.” He got up at once. And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they were converted to the Lord. (Acts 9:32-35)
Not to overlook the significance of this miracles (the poor fellow had been in bed paralyzed for eight years)…but there’s something about those words of Peter after the cure: “Get up and make your bed.” (What Peter wanted, of course, was for the man to show that he had really been cured.)
Parents have spoken those words to youngsters hundreds of times. Now they can do it, knowing they’re quoting Scripture: “Get up and make your bed.”
Then, of course, after Peter says this, note the man’s response: “He got up at once.”
Now, in many homes, that would be the miracle.
On this date in 1869, in Promontory, Utah, after six long years of hard labor, the golden spike was driven into the railroad tie connecting the final section of track that would create the transcontinental railroad.
The railroad itself, except for use in mines, did not really come into being until the 1830s. Yet, going back to the dawn of the human race, no single discovery changed the concept of “time” as much as the railroad.
Prior to the railroad, no matter how much money you had, no matter how strong you were, it was impossible to travel a long distance in less time than it took to walk, take a paddle wheel boat, or ride a horse to that destination.
For example, until 1869, it took months to get from New York to San Francisco. Once the golden spike was hammered home, you could do it in seven days. One can only imagine how different a day would be if the breakthroughs in transportation, beginning with the railroad, had not yet happened.
Once again Jesus follows with words of encouragement and reassurance. The Father will send the Holy Spirit upon them. Jesus will continue to be present to them in a new way – through the Holy Spirit.
Thus, the departure of Jesus is not a departure. It will bring about a new and deeper kind of presence.
• Jesus was sent by God into this world. His visible presence within this world was temporary.
• The Holy Spirit is sent by God into this world to be with us, within us, as someone who is at our side, on our side (that’s what “Advocate/Paraclete: means.) This replaces Jesus’ physical presence. The Spirit does not become incarnate, but truly dwells within us. And this presence is not temporary. It lasts forever.
The presence of the Spirit is not a second-rate presence. It is the presence of God. It is a real presence. It is the way in which Jesus continues to be with us.
To get hold of this truth and let its implications sink in is a grand moment in the life of a Christian.
(Getting hold of this truth and letting its implications sink in is the whole purpose of the 50-dauy Easter Season.)
One hundred years ago today, one of the most famous artists of the 20th century, Salvador Dali, was born in Spain, near the French border.
The son of a public notary, Dali was educated by the Brothers of the Marist Order.
He was a colorful, volatile life of expulsions from schools as a youth, and romantic liaisons as well.
During World War II, Dali and his wife came to the United States. They went to Hollywood where he was a set designer, and worked with Walt Disney and Alfred Hitchcock. After World War II they returned to Spain. In 1958, Dali returned to the Catholic faith.
Among his famous works with a religious theme is his Last Supper which was exhibited at the National Gallery in Washington, D. C. in 1956. He was also well known for his 1931 painting, The Persistence of Memory, which featured a melting clock
Salvador Dali died of heart failure on January 23, 1989.
There are many things we want in life. But, in “here and now” terms, the one thing we want most of all is inner peace.
I know this world is not perfect (any more than I am perfect). I know that from time to time there is pain and suffering. I know that love is sometimes fragile and my heart will be broken. I know all about sickness and setbacks and failure. I know I will make mistakes along the way, and often have no excuse.
But, oh, beneath all of this, to have a deep-down inner peace. Not a false peace (and I can tell the difference), but an honest gto goodness deep-down peace. That is what I want most of all. Honestly, I could handle all the rest if I could just have that.
Look again at the Gospel passage above, Jesus promises his disciples -- (including me (!) – a peace that drink and drugs, and false compliments and distractions and day-dreaming cannot give. He promises a peace that goes to the roots, to the core of who I am.
Read the text one more time, and hear Jesus speak your name when he says, “[Your name], my peace I give to you.”
Jesus doesn’t make false promises.
Pierino Como was born in Canonsburg (a small mining town southwest of Pittsburg), Pennsylvania, on May 18, 1912. He was the seventh of 13 children of Pietro and Lucia Travaglini, who had emigrated from Italy.
At the age of 10, Perino got a job sweeping out Steve Fragapane’s barber shop for 50 cents a week. By the time he was 14, he was cutting hair in his own barber shop where he worked after school. He sang as he worked, and the miners enjoyed it. On weekends he earned extra money singing for the local chapter of the Sons of Italy.
When he was 21, he took the job as featured vocalist of Freddy Carlone’s dance band for $28 a week. Ten years later he had a 15-minute nightly radio show in New York, and signed a recording contract with RCA Victor – a recording contract that was to continue for 46 years.
“Mister C” (as he came to be known) was a strong Catholic and family man, married to his wife (a childhood sweetheart) for more than 65 years before her death in 1998. He had tried his hand at movies in the 1940s, but found that Hollywood “is not what you would call a family town” and he returned to radio and recording, which enabled him to spend more time with his wife and three children.
In 1948, he moved to television as host of “The Chesterfield Supper Club.” His easy-going manner charmed TV audiences and he became a superstar.
Perry Como died on this date three years ago, just days short of his 89th birthday.
It has been said that this is the most beautiful sentence in all the Gospels: “I am the vine, you are the branches.” For certain, it is the clearest and strongest statement in the entire New Testament of the closeness of our relationship with Jesus.
It’s something I could never earn. No branch ever earned its way onto the vine. No child ever earned its way into a family. No human being ever earns his or her way into the heart of Jesus.
In effect, Jesus says, “I love you and that’s that. All I ask is that you respond.” Our connection with him is pure gift.
And what a gift it is. Consider the difference between two scenarios.
Scenario #1: I listen to the word of the Lord and then try to go out and live up to it on my own.
Scenario #2: I am connected to the Lord, as a branch to a vine. I remain connected, always, everywhere. Thus I am able to draw upon the Lord’s own goodness and let it flow into the everyday stuff of my life.
The latter scenario can make a day look a lot different. “Here we go, Lord. You and I. Together. I’ll do my best, but, remember, I’m depending on you. You’re the vine…I’m the branch.”
“Apocryphal" is a Greek word that means "hidden away.” It refers to stories or writings not considered authentic. Some of the apocryphal gospels include:
• The Gospel of Thomas: Written in the mid-second century, this claims to contain 113 sayings of Jesus.
• The Gospel of Matthias: Written in about 150 A. D., it purportedly contains secret words of Jesus spoken to Thomas and written down by Matthias.
• The Gospel of Bartholomew: Written in the third or fourth century, it has the Risen Lord answering Bartholomew’s questions about the descent into hell. Also, Mary tells Bartholomew about the annunciation. Even Satan is interviewed about the fall of the angels.
• The Gospel of Judas: No copy of this has been preserved, but early writers talk about it. Apparently it taught that Judas, by a secret revelation, knew that the crucifixion would bring about the salvation of the world, and this was the reason for his treachery.
• The Gospel of Mary Magdalene: Written in about the third century, this supposedly contains teachings of Jesus after his Resurrection, which he passed on to Mary Magdalene.
Before time began, from all eternity, there flowed a life and love in the Trinity – between Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
When the Word became flesh, that life and love flowed in a human being – Jesus Christ.
Jesus has poured that life and love upon us.
Imagine God’s own love flowing within me. Jesus could not have been clearer about this:
• “Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.” (Jn 6:57)
• “I am the vine, you are the branches.” (Jn 15:5)
The first Letter of John is clear too: “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God.” (4:7)
Because we have this life and love flowing within us, we can direct it toward others. Which is to say, we can bless them. “Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult. But on the contrary, a blessing, because to this you were called.” (1Peter 8:9)
Today, every day, I can silently bless others with God’s own love. Now that’s a whole different way of getting through a day.
Try it!
Shortly after the Ascension of Jesus, the small Christian community (Luke says there were about 120 of them) gathered and decided there should be a replacement for Judas as one of the Twelve. They cast lots, and Matthias was chosen.
The practice of casting lots went back to ancient Jewish tradition. People sometimes turned to their priests to determine God’s will. The priest would cast sacred lots, “Urim and Thummim.” (It’s not known exactly what these pieces looked like – they may have been precious stones with some type of characters on them.) Magic and superstition were forbidden to Israelites, but casting lots was not considered superstitious.
By using this method to choose Judas’ replacement, the early Christians showed their Jewish roots.
After his election, Matthias is never mentioned in the New Testament. Although there are legends, little is known about him with any certitude.
Nothing is known about what became of the structure itself that was called “The Twelve.” This structure is last mentioned in the sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles (The book has 28 chapters). The structure called “The Twelve” is never heard of again in Acts, or in later New Testament writings.
I disagree with the statement about "The Twelve" never being mentioned again, because in a recent reading from Revelation twleve courses through Jerusalem were marked by the names of the Twleve apostles. Hmmmm.
Did you notice? This is now one of the commandments: “Love one another as I love you.”
The first Letter of John says, “We love because he first loved us.” (4:9) The initiative lies with Jesus. Directing that same love toward others is our response.
The Trappist monk and author, Thomas Merton, said that Christian love doesn’t happen because I simply make an act of the will to love others. The key, he said is faith. I have to believe – truly believe -- that I am loved by God. If I believe that, the rest follows.
To put it another way, the origin of my love for others is God: The Father loves the Son…and the Son loves me…and I love others.
That’s a pretty good source – God.
It really does come down to faith: The Lord loves me. If I believe that, then the rest follows.
Do I believe it?
Mary Fields has been called one of the toughest women ever to work in a convent.
Born a slave in Tennessee on this date in 1932, Mary gained her freedom after the Civil War, and moved to Mississippi where she worked on a steamboat.
She had been a childhood friend of an Ursiline Sister who was assigned to minister to Indians in Montana and became very ill. Mary went there to nurse her friend back to health. She stayed on and helped build the mission school. She also drove the stagecoach that brought people from the train station to the convent.
Despite their best efforts, the nuns never managed to convert Mary Fields. She preferred to drink, swear, fight and smoke cigars with the men who worked at the convent.
Mary Fields never married. The nuns were her family. But, when the bishop received complaints about Mary’s unconventional ways, he made her leave the convent.
The nuns helped Mary open a restaurant, but it struggled to survive since she so often gave free meals to the needy. She eventually found work as a U. S. mail coach driver. She died in 1914 and is buried in Cascade, Montana, where her grave is marked by a simple cross.
In her later years, Mary Fields would baby sit for local children, and then spend her earnings on treats for them…including a little boy who would grow up and become known as Gary Cooper.
To understand this passage, we have to distinguish between two uses of the term “world,” particularly in John’s Gospel. In some cases, it refers simply to the cosmos – all creation – and human beings in general. For example, “God so love the world that he gave his only Son.” (Jn 3:16)
In other cases, it refers to those who have consciously rejected Jesus and who work against him – and today’s passage is an example of that.
On the one hand, we are called to be involved in the world as salt, light, leaven. On the other hand, we can’t be naively optimistic about the world, accepting its values indiscriminately.
There’s no getting around it. Our faith opens us up to a perspective that goes far beyond what eyes have seen and ears have heard. The reign of God has not yet fully come. In this time between the first coming of Jesus and his coming at the end of history, we will sometimes be at odds with “the world.”
These words of Jesus at the supper table are not meant to frighten us, or even make us hostile to the world. Jesus is consoling us. If “the world” sometimes ridicules me for my faith, Jesus says, “Remember that it hated me first.”
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