Posted on 04/11/2020 10:56:34 AM PDT by Salvation
R. (42:2) Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.
Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
R. Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.
I went with the throng
and led them in procession to the house of God,
Amid loud cries of joy and thanksgiving,
with the multitude keeping festival.
R. Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.
Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.
R. Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.
Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!
R. Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.
Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.
For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his,
we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.
We know that our old self was crucified with him,
so that our sinful body might be done away with,
that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.
For a dead person has been absolved from sin.
If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.
As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;
as to his life, he lives for God.
Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as being dead to sin
and living for God in Christ Jesus.
R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
His mercy endures forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
The right hand of the LORD has struck with power;
the right hand of the LORD is exalted.
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
And behold, there was a great earthquake;
for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven,
approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.
His appearance was like lightning
and his clothing was white as snow.
The guards were shaken with fear of him
and became like dead men.
Then the angel said to the women in reply,
Do not be afraid!
I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.
He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.
Come and see the place where he lay.
Then go quickly and tell his disciples,
He has been raised from the dead,
and he is going before you to Galilee;
there you will see him.
Behold, I have told you.
Then they went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce this to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me.
First, my apologies. USCCB got hacked last night and I could not post this. Forward now!
KEYWORDS: catholic; easter; mt28; prayer; vigil;
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The Creation Account
[3] And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. [4] And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. [5] God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
[6] And God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” [7] And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. [8] And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
[9] And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. [10] God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. [11] And God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth.” And it was so. [12] The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees hearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [13] And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.
[14] And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, [15] and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. [16] And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also. [17] And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth, [18] to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. [19] And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
[20] And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens.” [21] So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [22] And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” [23] And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
[24] And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. [25] And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
[26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. [28] And God blessed them, and God said to them.,”Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” [29] And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. [30] And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. [31] And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
[1] Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. [2] And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. [3] So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation.
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Commentary:
1:1-2:4a. Creation is the beginning of salvation history and the foundation on which are built God’s salvific plans, which reach their climax in Jesus Christ. The biblical accounts of creation focus on the action of God; it is he who sets the scene and he is the creator, too, of those who will act out the drama and with whom he will enter into dialogue.
The sacred text incorporates ancient traditions about the origin of the world; scholars identify two separate accounts in the early chapters of Genesis. The first of these emphasizes God’s transcendence over all created things, and is written in a very schematic style; this account (1:1-2:4a) is attributed to the “Priestly” tradition. The second, which also covers the fall and the expulsion from paradise, speaks of God in an anthropomorphic way; this more vivid, more popular account (2:4b-4:26) is considered to belong to the “Yahwistic” tradition. Here we have two different ways in which the Word of God (not intending to provide a scientific explanation of the origin of the world and of man) expounds the basic facts and truths on the subject in a way people can readily understand, inviting us to see me greatness and love of God manifested first in creation and then in the history of mankind. “Our faith teaches us,” St. Josemaria Escriva writes, “that all creation, the movement of the earth and the other heavenly bodies, the good actions of creatures and all the good that has been achieved in history, in short everything, comes from God and directed toward him” (”Christ Is Passing By”, 130).
In the first account the Bible offers profound teaching about God, about man and about the world. About God, who is the only God, creator of all things and man in particular; he transcends the created world and is its supreme master. About man, who is the image and likeness of God, above all other created beings and placed in the world to rule all creation. About the world, which is something good and is at the service of man.
1.1. “Three things are affirmed in these first words of Scripture: the eternal God gave a beginning to all that exists outside of himself; he alone is Creator (the verb ‘create’—Hebrew “bara”—always has God for its subject). The totality of what exists (expressed by the formula ‘the heavens and the earth’) depends on the One who gives it being” (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 290).
“In the beginning” means that creation marks the start of time and the course of history. Time and history have a beginning and they are headed towards a final goal, which the Bible will tell us more about, especially in its last book, Revelation. At the end, we are told: ‘Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more” (Rev 21:1).
God the Creator is the same God as will manifest himself to the patriarchs, to Moses and to the prophets and make himself known to as through Jesus Christ. In the light of the New Testament we know that God created all things through his eternal Word, his beloved Son (cf. Jn 1:1; Col 1:16-17). God the Creator is Father and Son and (the relationship of love between them) the Holy Spirit. Creation is the work of the Blessed Trinity, and all of creation (particularly man, created in the image and likeness of God) in some way bears their seal. Some Fathers of the Church (Augustine, Ambrose and Basil, for example), in the light of the New Testament, saw the words “in the beginning” as having a deeper meaning—namely, “in the Son”.
The “action of creating” belongs exclusively to God; man cannot create; he can only “change” or “develop” something that already exists. In the creation accounts of other Near East religions the world and gods developed out of preexistent matter. The Bible, however, records gradual revelation of the mystery of creation interpreted in the light of God’s choice of Israel and his covenant with mankind; it roundly asserts that everything was made by God. Later on it will draw the conclusion that everything was created out of’ nothing: “I beseech you, my child, to look at the heavens and the earth and see everything that is in them, and to recognize that God did not make them out of things that existed” (2 Mac 7:28). This creative power of God is also able to give sinful man a pure heart (cf. Ps 51:12), to restore the dead to life and to give the light of faith to those who do not know him (cf. 2 Cor 4:6).
It was God’s love and wisdom that moved him to create the world, thereby communicating his goodness and making his glory manifest. The world, therefore, “is not the product of any necessity whatever, nor of blind, fate or chance. We believe that it proceeds from God’s free will; he wanted to make his creatures share in his being, wisdom and goodness” (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 295).
The expression “the heavens and the earth” means everything that exists. Theearth is the world of men; the sky (or the heavens) can mean the firmament or the divine world, God’s own “place”, his glory and all spiritual (non-material) creatures—the angels.
1:2. The Bible teaches not just that God created all things, but also that the separation and ordering of the elements of nature is something established by God once and for all. The presence of the loving power of God, symbolized by a gentle breeze or a breath (the text refers to it as a spirit; “ruah” in Hebrew) which hovers and keeps watch over the world when it is still in chaos, shows that, as the text will go on to say, the Word of God and his Breath are present in the origin of being and in the origin of every creature’s life. That is why many Fathers of the Church (Jerome and Athanasaus, for example) saw this passage as reflecting the presence of the Holy Spirit as a divine Person who, along with the Father and the Son, is at work in the creation of the world, “This biblical concept of creation”, John Paul II explains, “includes not only the call to existence of the very being of the cosmos, that is to say, “the giving of existence”, but also the presence of the Spirit of God in creation, that is to say, the beginning of “first of all concerning man”, who has been created in the image and likeness of God” (”Dominum Et Vivificantem”, 12).
1:3-5. At this point strictly speaking begins the description of the creation, which, according to the literary plan of this account, is going to take place over six days. These six days are meant to indicate the orderliness with which God went about his work, and to show a rhythm of work and rest: the Jewish Law laid down Saturday, the Sabbath, as a day of rest and a day dedicated to the Lord. In the Christian Church this day was shifted to Sunday, because Sunday was the day on which our Lord rose from the dead, thereby inaugurating the new Creation: Sunday, the “dies dominica” (Latin), the Lord’s day.
On the first day God creates light and separates light from darkness (the latter, being something negative—the absence of light—cannot be created). Light is seen here as being a thing in its own right (without reference to the fact that daylight comes from the sun, which will not be created until the fourth day). The fact that God puts names on things (or in this case on situations caused by some elements being separated from others) indicates that he wields absolute power over them. God is in authority, whether it be day or night.
Here we meet for the first time a phrase which is going to be used seven times over the course of the narrative: “And God saw that it was good.” This means that everything that God creates is good because in some way it bears his seal and shares in his own goodness, for it has come from divine goodness. The goodness of the world proclaimed here by Holy Scripture has important consequences for the Christian: “We must love the world and work and all human things. For the world is good. Adam’s sin destroyed the divine balance of creation; but God the Father sent his only Son to re-establish peace, so that we, his children by adoption, might free creation from disorder and reconcile all things to God” ([St] Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 112).
1:6-8. In line with the culture of their time, the early Hebrews thought that rain came from huge containers of water in the vault of heaven; when trapdoors were opened, the rain poured down. When it says here that God separated the water which were above the firmament from those below, what is really being taught is that God imposed order on the natural world and is responsible for the phenomenon of rain. It is also making it clear from the outset that the firmament must not be thought to involve any divinity (as was believed in the nations roundabout Israel); the firmament is part of the created world.
1:11. As the inspired author depicts here, a distinction is made between God’s action in separating and ordering the elements (creating the vast spaces of sky, sea and land) and his action of filling or adorning these spaces with different kinds of creatures. These creatures introduced in an increasing order of dignity (in line with the thinking of the time)first the vegetable kingdom, then the stellar kingdom, and, lastly, the animal kingdom. Everything is perfectly arranged; the world of Creation invites to contemplate the Creator.
1:14-17. Against the neighboring religions, which regarded the heavenly bodies as divinities exerting influence over human life, the biblical author, enlightened by inspiration, teaches that the sun, moon and stars are simply created things; their purpose is to serve man by giving him light by day and night, and to be a way of measuring time. Put in their proper, natural place heavenly bodies (like all the rest of creation) lead man to appreciate the greatness of God, and to praise him for his awesome works: “The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork...” (Ps 19:1; cf. Ps 104). It follows that all forms of divination are to be rejected—consulting horoscopes, astrology, clairvoyance etc. (cf. “Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 2116).
1:26. The sacred text emphasizes the special significance of this moment: God seems to stop to reflect and plan every detail of his next creation—man. Ancient Jewish interpretation (followed also by some Christian writers) saw the use of the plural “Let us make...” as meaning that God deliberated with his heavenly court, that is, with the angels (implying that God had created them at the very start, when he “created the heavens and the earth”). But the use of the plural should rather be taken as reflecting the greatness and power of God. A considerable part of Christian tradition has seen the “Let us make” as reflecting the Holy Trinity, for New Testament revelation has made the Christian reader more aware of the unfathomable greatness of the divine mystery.
“Man” here has a collective meaning: every human being, by his or her very nature, is in the image and likeness of God. The human being is intelligible not by reference to other created beings in the universe but by reference to God. The likeness between God and man is not a physical one, for God has no body; it is a spiritual likeness, lying in the human being’s capacity for interiority. The Second Vatican Council teaches that man is not deceived when he regards himself as superior to bodily things and as more than just a speck of nature or a nameless unit in the city of man. For by his power to know himself in the depths of his being he rises above the whole universe of mere objects. When he is drawn to think about his real self, he turns to those deep recesses of his being where God who probes the heart (1 Kings 1.6:7; Jer 17:10) awaits him, and where he himself decides his own destiny in the sight of God. So when he recognizes in himself a spiritual and immortal soul, he is not being led astray by false imaginings that are due to merely physical or social causes. On the contrary, he grasps what is profoundly true in this matter” (”Gaudium Et Spes”, 14).
The fact that God creates man in own image and likeness “means not only rationality and freedom as constitutive properties of human nature, but also from the very beginning, the capacity of having a “personal relationship” with God as ‘I’ and ‘you’ and therefore the capacity “of having a covenant”, which will take place in God’s salvific communication with man” (John Paul 11, “Dominun Et Vivificantem”, 34). In the light of this communication, brought about in all its fullness by Jesus Christ, the Fathers the Church read the words “image and likeness” as meaning, on the one hand man’s spiritual condition, and, on the other, his sharing in the divine nature through sanctifying grace. Even after the fall, man is still in the “image” of God; through sin, however, he lost his “likeness” but this was restored through Christ’s redemption.
It is part of God’s design that human beings should have dominion over other created things (represented here by the animals). This dominion makes man God’s representative (everything really belongs to God) in the created world. Therefore, although man is going to be the lord of creation, he needs to recognize that God alone is the Creator; man has to respect and look after creation; he is responsible for it.
These words of Scripture show that “man is the only creature that God has loved for itself alone, because all others were created to be at the service of man. Here we can see, too, the basic equality of all human beings. For the Church, this equality, which has its roots in man’s very being, takes on the very special dimension of brotherhood through the Incarnation of the Son of God. [...] Therefore, discrimination of any type [...] is absolutely unacceptable” (John Paul II, Address, 7 July 1984).
1:27. The creation of man marks the completion of God’s plan, In presenting this final act of creation, the sacred writer offers us a summary of the things that go to make up the human being. As, well as repeating that God created man in his image and likeness, he tells us that God created them man and woman, that is to say, corporeal beings, endowed with sexuality, and designed to live in society. “Being in the image of God, the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons. And he is called by grace to a covenant with his Creator to offer him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his stead” (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 357).
“The fact that man ‘created as man and woman’ is the image of God means not only that each of them individually is like God, as a rational and free being. It also means that man and woman, created as a ‘unity of the two’ in their common humanity, are called to live in a communion of love, and in this way to mirror in the world the communion of love that is in God, through which the Three Persons love each other in the intimate mystery of the one divine life. This ‘unity of the two’, which is a sign of interpersonal communion, “shows that the creation of man” is also marked by a certain likeness to the divine communion (”communio”) This likeness is a quality of the personal being of both man and woman, and is also a call and a task” (John Paul II, “Mulieris Dignitatem”, 7).
The fact that the Bible and everyday language speak of God as masculine is a result of cultural influences and the great care taken in the Bible to avoid any hint of polytheism (which could arise if the godhead were described as feminine, opening the way to generations of gods, as in other religions). God transcends the body and sexuality; therefore, both man (masc.) and woman (fem.) equally reflect his image and likeness. In these words of Genesis, for the very first time in history, the fundamental equality in dignity of man and woman is proclaimed—in marked contrast with the low esteem in which women were held in the ancient world.
According to the traditional Jewish and Christian interpretation, this verse is alluding to marriage, as if God had already created the first man and the first woman as a married couple—forming that human community which is the basis of every society. In the second Genesis account of the creation of man and woman (cf. 2:18-24), this will emerge even more clearly.
1:28. God has already created animals, endowing them with fruitfulness (v. 22). He now addresses these two human beings personally: “he said to them...”; this indicates that the reproductive power of human beings (and therefore their sexuality) are values for which they must assume responsibility before God, as a way of co-operating in God’s plans. Thus, God, “wishing to associate them in a special way with his own creative work, blessed man and woman with the words: ‘Be fruitful and multiply’ (Gen 1:28). Without intending to underestimate the other ends of marriage, it must be said that true married love and the whole structure of family life which results from it is directed to disposing the spouses to cooperate valiantly with the love of the Creator and Savior, who through them will increase and enrich his family from day to day” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 50).
God also commands man to make the earth serve him. Here divine Revelation is teaching us that human work is regarded as a way by which main operates in the plan God had when he created the world: “By the work of his hands and with the aid of technical means man tills the earth to bring fruit and to make it a dwelling place for all mankind; he, also consciously plays his part in the life of social groups; in so doing he is realizing the design, which God revealed at the beginning of time, to subdue the earth and perfect the work of creation, and at the same time he is improving his own person” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 57).
From this divine disposition we see the importance a person’s work has in his or her personal life: “Your human vocation is a part—and an important part—of your divine vocation. That reason why you must strive for holiness, giving a particular character to your human personality, a style to your life; contributing at the same time to the sanctification of others, your fellow men; sanctifying your work and your environment: the profession or job that fills day, your home and family and the country where you were born and which you love [...]. Work, all work, bears witness to the dignity of man, to his dominion over creation. It is an opportunity to develop one’s personality. It is a bond of union with others, the way to support one’s family, a means of aiding the improvement of the society in which we live and in the progress of all mankind” (”Christ Is Passing By”, 46-47).
Man is charged by God with mastery over the earth; but he may not do whatever he likes with it or act despotically: he should respect the universe as being the work of the Creator. In this regard, Wisdom 9:3 says: “0 God, [...] who hast formed man, to have dominion over the creatures thou hast made, and rule the world in holiness and righteousness, and pronounce judgment in uprightness of soul.” “This holds good also for out daily work. When men and women provide for themselves and their families in such a way as to be of service to the community as well, they can rightly look upon their work as a prolongation of the work of the creator, a service to their fellow men, and their personal contribution to the fulfillment in history of the divine plan” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 34).
1:31. These words bring to an end this first description of the work of Creation. It is as if God, after making man, stood back to see what he had done and was very pleased with the result. Whereas the wording previously used was “And God saw that it was good,” now we are told that it was “very good”. In this way, the goodness of the created world is being stressed, indicating that “this natural goodness of theirs receives an added dignity from their relation with the human person, for whose use they have been created” (Vatican II, “Apostolicam Actuositatem”, 7). From this it follows that the human person and his/her dignity must be valued above all other created things, and all human endeavor should be geared to foster and defend these values.
2:1-3. From this point onwards, God will almost never intervene in creation directly. Now it is up to man to act in the created world through the work he does.
God’s “resting” sets an example for man. By resting, we are acknowledging that creation in the last analysis depends on and belongs to God, and that God is watching over it. Here rest is an example set by the Creator; we shall later find it as one of the Ten Commandments (cf. Ex 20:8-18; Deut 5:42-14). “The institution of the Lord’s Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social and religious lives” (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 2184; cf. also John Paul II,
Apostolic Letter, “Dies Domini”, 31 May 1998).
Apropos of the sabbath, unlike the other days there is no mention of there being evening and morning. It is as if that rhythm of time were being broken by the sabbath—prefiguring the situation in which man, once he has accomplished his mission of mastering the earth, will enjoy an unending rest, at an eternal feast in God’s presence (cf. Heb 4:1-10). In the language of the Bible “feast” or “festival” means three things—a) obligatory rest from everyday work; b) recognition of God as Lord of creation, and joyful contemplation
From: Genesis 22:1b-19
The Sacrifice of Isaac and the Renewal of the Promise
[9] When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. [10] Then Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. [11] But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” [12] He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” [13] And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. [14] So Abraham called the name of that place The Lord will provide; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
[15] And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, [16] and said, “By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, [17] I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies, [18] and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.” [19] So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.
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Commentary:
22:1-19. God has been true to his promise: he has given Abraham a son by Sarah. Now it is Abraham who should show his fidelity to God by being ready to sacrifice his son in recognition that the boy belongs to God. The divine command seems to be senseless: Abraham has already lost Ishmael, when he and Hagar were sent away; now he is being asked to sacrifice his remaining son. Disposing of his son, meant detaching himself even from the fulfillment of the promise which Isaac represented. In spite of all this, Abraham obeys.
‘”As a final stage in the purification of his faith, Abraham ‘who had received the promises’ (Heb 11:17) is asked to sacrifice the son God had given him. Abraham’s faith does hot weaken (’God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering’), for he ‘considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead’ (Heb 11:19). And so the father of believers is conformed to the likeness of the Father who will not spare his own son but will deliver him up for us all (cf. Rom 8:32). Prayer restores man to God’s likeness and enables him to share in the power of God’s love that saves the multitude (cf. Rom 4:16-21)” (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 2572).
By undergoing the test which God set, Abraham attains perfection (cf. Jas 2:2 1) and he is now in a position for God to reaffirm in a solemn way the promise he made previously (cf. Gen 12:3).
The sacrifice of Isaac has features which make it a figure of the redemptive sacrifice of Christ. Thus, there is father giving up his son; the son who renders himself to his father’s will; the tools of sacrifice such as the wood, the knife and the altar. The account reaches its climax by showing through Abraham’s obedience and Isaac’s non-resistance, God’s blessing will reach all the nations of the earth (cf. v. 18). So, it is not surprising that Jewish tradition should attribute a certain redemptive value to Isaac’s submissiveness, and that the Fathers should see this episode prefiguring the passion of Christ, only Son of the Father.
22:2. “The land of Moriah”: according to the Syrian version of Genesis this is “land of the Ammorites”. We do not in fact know where this place was, although in 2 Chronicles 3:1 it is identified the mountain on which the temple Jerusalem was built, to stress the holiness of that site.
22:12. God is satisfied just by Abraham’s sincere intention to do what he asked of him. It is as good as if he had actually done the deed. “The patriarch turned sacrificer of his son for the love of God; he stained his right hand with blood in intention and offered sacrifice. But owing to God’s loving kindness beyond telling he received his son back safe and sound and went off with him; the patriarch was commended for his intention and bedecked with a bright crown; he had engaged in the ultimate struggle and at every stage given evidence of his godly attitude” (”Homiliae in Genesim”, 48, 1).
Making an implicit comparison between Isaac and Jesus, St Paul sees in the death of Christ the culmination of God’s love; he writes: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him?” (Rom 8:32).
If staying Abraham’s hand was really a sign of God’s love, an even greater one was really a sign of God’s love, an even greater one was the fact that he allowed Jesus to die as an expiatory sacrifice on behalf of all mankind. In that later sacrifice, because “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8), “the abyss of malice which sin opens wide has been bridged by his infinite charity. God did not abandon men. His plans foresaw that the sacrifices of the old law would be insufficient to repair our faults and reestablish the unity which had been lost. A man who was God would have to offer himself up” (St. J. Escriva”Christ is Passing By”, 95).
22: 13-14. Some Fathers see this ram as a prefigurement of Jesus Christ, insofar as, like Christ, the ram. was immolated in order to save man. In this sense, St Ambrose wrote: “Whom does the ram represent, if not him of whom it is written, ‘He has raised up a horn for his people’ (Ps 148:14)? [...] Christ: It is He whom Abraham saw in that sacrifice; it was his passion he saw. Thus, our Lord himself says of Abraham: ‘Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad’ (Jn 8:56). Therefore Scripture says: ‘Abraham called the name of that place ‘The Lord will provide,’ so that today one can say: the Lord appeared on the mount, that is, he appeared to Abraham revealing his future passion in his body, whereby he redeemed the world; and sharing, at the same time, the nature of his passion when he caused him to see the ram suspended by his horns. The thicket stands for the scaffold of the cross” (”De Abraham
From: Exodus 14:5-18
The Egyptians in Pursuit
[10] When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and they were in great fear. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord; “and they said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, in bringing us out of Egypt? [12] Is not this what we said to you in Egypt. ‘Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” [13] And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord which he will work for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. [14] The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be still.”
Crossing the Red Sea
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Commentary:
14:10-14. The Egyptians get so close that the Israelites are terrified; this produces their first crisis of faith: the liberty they seek means giving up a quiet life in Egypt. Moses begins to reveal himself not just as a charismatic leader but as a mediator between the people and God. The words of v. 13 underlie the theological virtue of hope: God is the one who acts, man has to stand firm in faith; he has no reason to fear. As the Letter to the Hebrews teaches, Jesus is the model of faithfulness and hope: “Therefore [...] let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:12)
14:17-18. The military language and the depiction of God as a warrior should cause no surprise: it is a daring anthropomorphism which shows that God is almighty and therefore can deliver the elect from any danger that threatens: “You, too, if you distance yourself from the Egyptians and flee far from the power of demons,” Origen comments, “will see what great helps will be provided to you each day and what great protection is available to you. All that is asked of you is that you stand firm in the faith and do not let yourself be terrified by either the Egyptian cavalry or the noise of their chariots” (”Homiliae in Exodum”, 5, 4).
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From: Exodus 14:21-15:1
Crossing the Red Sea
[30] Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. [31] And Israel saw the great work which the Lord did against the Egyptians, and the people feared the Lord; and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
Song of Victory
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Commentary:
14:19-22. At the wonderful moment of the crossing of the sea, God, man and the forces of nature play the leading role. In the person of the angel of the Lord, God the person of the angel of the Lord, becomes more visible; he directs operations; he plays a direct part. Moses’ part consists in doing as the Lord commands; he is his vicar. The sons of Israel have no active part; they benefit from what happens. Even the forces of nature come into play: the pillar of cloud which marked the route by day now blocks the Egyptians’ way; night, the symbol of evil become, as in the Passover, the time God’s visitation; the warm west wind, always feared for its harmful effects, now proves a great help; and the waters of the sea, so often the symbol of the abyss and of evil, allow the victorious passage of the sons of Israel.
The prophets see this event as an instance of the creative power of God (cf. Is 43:1-3), and Christian writers comment along the same lines. Thus, Origen will say: “See the goodness of God the Creator: if you submit to his will and follow his Law, he will see to it that created things cooperate with you, against their own nature if necessary” (”Homiliae In Exodum”, 5,5).
The book of Wisdom turns the account of the crossing of the sea into a hymn of praise to the Lord who delivered Israel (cf. Wis 19:6-9), and St Paul sees the waters as a figure of baptismal water: “All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1 Cor 10:2).
14:31. The main effect the miraculous crossing of the sea had on the Israelites was the faith it gave them in the power of God and in the authority of Moses. This section of the account of the escape from Egypt ends as it began—that is, showing that the people’s faith (4:31) is now strengthened. So, too, Christian faith is strengthened when we do what God desires.: “Following Jesus on his way. You have understood what our Lord was asking from you and you have decided to accompany him on his way. You trying to walk in his footsteps, to clothe yourself in Christ’s clothing, to be Christ himself: well, your faith, your faith in the light our Lord is giving you, must both operative and full of sacrifice” ([St] J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 198).
15:1-21. This victory anthem, along with that of Deborah (Judg 5), is one the oldest hymns of Israel. It probably goes as far back as the 13th century BC, long before the redactor of this be decided to include it as a colophon to Exodus account. It is called the “Song of Miriam” (v. 21) because, as we know from Ugarit poems of the period (13th-9th centuries BC) it was the practice to put at the end (not the start) the reason why the poem was written, the author’s name and the poem’s title (vv. 18-21). It is very likely that this canticle was recited in the liturgy and that the entire people said the response (vv, 1, 21) after each stanza was said or sung by the choir.
It is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving which the three stages of the deliverance of Israel are remembered—the prodigies of the Red Sea (vv. 4-10), the triumphal pilgrimage in the desert (vv. 4-16) and the taking possession of the land of Canaan (vv. 17-18).
In this poetic re-creation of these events the divine attributes are extolled one by one (might, military power, redemption, etc); they reflect the theological implications of exodus, wilderness and land: it is God who has done all these wondrous things; he has done them because he has chosen the people to be his very own; he himself requires that they respond by acknowledging him to be God, Lord of all, the only deliverer.
15:1-3. Victory over the Egyptians has revealed the glory arid might of God. Strength, power, salvation can be taken as meaning the same thing, for the sacred author does not regard the divine attributes as abstract qualities but as particular actions: only God could truly save the people.
“The Lord is a man of war”: this daring description indicates that this is a very ancient poem. Some translations, possibly because they thought it might be misunderstood, toned it down a little: the Samaritan Pentateuch has “powerful in combat” and the Septuagint “he who breaks through battles”. We in our Spanish version coincide with the RSV and the New Vulgate, retaining the blunt military imagery, which is very descriptive of the almighty power of God: “He is the Lord of the Universe [...]. He is master of history, governing hearts and events in keeping with his will” (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 269).
“The Lord is his name”: literally, “his name is Yah”, using an abbreviation of Yahweh which may have been customary in more ancient times. It may well be that there is an echo of this name in the “Alleluia” of the Psalms.
From: Isaiah 55:1-9
Epilogue: Invitation to Partake of the Banquet of the Lord’s Covenant
[1] Ho, every one who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
[2] Why do you spend your money for
that which is not bread,
and your labour for that which does
not satisfy?
Hearken diligently to me, and eat
what is good,
and delight yourselves in fatness.
[3] lncline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting
covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
[4] Behold, I made him a witness to the
peoples,
a leader and commander for the
peoples.
[5] Behold, you shall call nations that
you know not,
and nations that knew you not shall
run to you,
because of the LORD your God,
and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
[6] Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
[7] let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
[8] for my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
[9] For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
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Commentary:
55:1-13. The invitation to the Covenant banquet acts as the epilogue to the second part of the book of Isaiah, and picks up on themes in chapter 40, which is its prologue. The two chapters help to give literary and thematic unity to this part of the book. The oracle in chapter 55 sums up in a way the teachings contained in the preceding chapters — the invitation to the Covenant banquet (vv. 1-3), reminiscent of that celebrated by Moses at Mount Sinai (Ex 24:5, 11); the renewal of the Covenant with David on Zion (vv. 4-5); the transcendence of God, who is unaffected by the sins of men (vv. 8-9); the power of the word of God (vv. 10-11); and, as a final synthesis, the promise of a new exodus, a sign of Gods everlasting salvation.
These oracles are a call for conversion, a call to take advantage of the salvific gifts so generously offered: Come to the waters (v. 1), Come to me (v. 3), Seek the Lord (v. 6), Let the wicked forsake his way (v. 7). Originally, it was a call to those exiled in Babylon to return to Jerusalem; but it is a call that is made at all times, to everyone. The reference to an everlasting Covenant, in keeping with promises made to David (cf. v. 3), can be read by Christians as an invitation to share in the new and eternal Covenant sealed with the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, a pledge of salvation for all mankind. In the Eucharist, the banquet of the New Testament, the words of the prophet come true in the complete sense in the words spoken by our Lord when he instituted that sacrament: Take and eat (cf. v. 1) the true bread of life, the very finest food, which money cannot buy (vv. 1-3). Therefore, the invitation extended by the prophet is a call to Christians to partake of the Blessed Eucharist. Paul VI, urging the faithful to
take part in the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist, wrote: How could we fail to take part in this encounter, to partake of the banquet that Christ has lovingly prepared for us? Our participation should be dignified and filled with joy. Christ, crucified and glorified, comes among his disciples to draw them all into the power of his resurrection. It is the pinnacle, here on earth, of the Covenant of love between God and his people: the sign and source of Christian joy, the preparation for the eternal banquet in heaven (Gaudete in Domino, 322). Verses1-11, like 54:5-14, are read in the liturgy of the Easter Vigil, which celebrates Christs victory over sin and which invites the faithful to partake of the banquet of the Covenant sealed by his death and resurrection: On the feasts of the Lord, when the faithful receive the Body of the Son, they proclaim to one another the Good News that the first fruits of life have been given, as when the angel said to Mary Magdalene, Christ is risen! Now too are life and resurrection conferred on whoever receives Christ (Fanqith, Brevarium iuxta ritum Ecclesiae Antiochenae Syrorum, in Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1391).
55:6-9. The Israelites are called to conversion. In order to return to their homeland, they must return to God, must seek him (vv. 6-7). And the Lord, who allows himself to be found and who does not judge in the way that men do, is willing and able to grant forgiveness (vv. 8-9). In other words, the call to repentance is grounded on the goodness of God who will abundantly pardon (v. 7). Man, for his part, should grasp this opportunity that God offers him. So, the words in this passage are a constant encouragement to begin and begin again in the pursuit of virtue: To be converted means to ask for forgiveness and to seek out the strength of God in the Sacrament of reconciliation, and thus begin again, advancing step by step every day, learning to overcome ourselves, to win the spiritual battles that we face, and to give of ourselves joyfully, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7) (John Paul II, Novo incipiente, 8 April 1979). And St Augustine, apropos of conversion, wrote: Do not say: Tomorrow, I will he converted; tomorrow, I will give thanks to God; and all my sins, todays and yesterdays, will be forgiven. It is true that God promises forgiveness for your conversion; but He does not promise tomorrow for your delays (Enarrationes in Psalmos, 144, 11).
The words of v. 8 are echoed by St Paul in Romans 11:33, and are a reminder to us of just how narrow-minded we can be and how we can fail even to imagine the great things that God has in store for us.
From: Isaiah 54:1-10
A Glorious New Jerusalem
[4] “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be put to shame; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. [5] For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. [6] For the Lord has called you like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God. [7] For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you. [8] In overflowing wrath for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer.
[9] For this is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you and will not rebuke you. [10] For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
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Commentary:
54:1-17. After the Song of the Servant, the sacred writer turns his attention again to Zion in a beautiful hymn celebrating the glory and restoration of Jerusalem. By inserting it immediately after the fourth song, he seems to indicate that this will be the first outcome of the servant’s work. This hymn is an oracle of consolation and hope after the humiliations of exile. The content of the fourth song was quite new not so this hymn it uses traditional Old Testament imagery—thebarren wife who becomes fruitful again (v. 1; cf. 1 Sam 2:5; Ps 113:9), the unfaithful and repudiated wife who is taken back (v.4; cf. Hos 1:16-22). Zion will have far more offspring than she had before the exile (v. 3). The Lord of hosts will be her Maker and her Husband (vv. 5-6). He forsook her for a short while (vv. 7-9) but now he will make a new Covenant with her, sealed with love (v. 10). He will rebuild Zions walls with precious stones, and peace will prevail (vv. 11-15). But the figure of Zion now accomodates not just the citys
inhabitants: it comes to stand for the homeland of all the Lords servants.
As the poem develops, so does Gods tenderness towards his city and his people: the first stanza (vv. 1-3) sees the city as a woman who was once barren and now has many children: she is the new Sarah (Gen 16:1), the new Rachel (Gen 29:3 1), the new Hannah (1 Sam 1:2). This will be so, for so says the Lord (v. 1). The second stanza (vv. 4-6) stresses the titles of her husband— Maker, Lord of hosts, Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, etc; and it confirms this by a slight change in wording: says your God (v. 6). The third stanza (vv. 7-10) describes the husbands tender affection: he forsook Israel for a brief moment, but his love is everlasting: as in the days of Noah she was disgraced for a while, but he has sworn to be angry no longer, and not to rebuke her. The oracular formula is now: says the Lord, your Redeemer” (v. 8b) and says the Lord who has compassion on you(v. 10b), which is etymologically the equivalent of who loves you tenderly.
The second part of the poem consists of two oracles of restoration: the first (vv. 11-15) shows the city constructed with precious stones (”abanim” in Hebrew; v. 11) and full of sons (”banim”, in Hebrew) who will be docile to the Lord; the second part (vv. 16-17) confirms that God himself, mighty and just, guarantees the splendor and permanence of Zion.
A Christian reading sees the poem as explaining that the Church is the continuation and culmination of the ancient people of God, especially in its eschatological stage when tribulation will be a thing of the past: The cry in scripture, ‘Sing, 0 barren one’, refers to us, because our Church was barren until children were born to it. ‘Break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in travail’: our singing is the prayers we should offer to God, without ceasing, without fail; those who live apart from God will fail. And Scripture adds ‘the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her that is married’, so that we will see how, though we seemed to have been abandoned by the Lord in the beginning, we are now more fruitful than ever, and more numerous even than the people who believed that God was their God alone (Pseudo-Clement, “Epistula II Ad Corinthios”, 2).
Verses 11-12 will inspire the vision of the heavenly Jerusalem in Revelation 21:18-21. Verse 13 is applied to Jesus disciples in John 6:45 to indicate that God himself guarantees faith of believers in Jesus Christ.
From: Ezekiel 36:23-28
Restoration; return from exile
Inner renewal
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Commentary:
36:16-39:29. In this second last section of the book, the prophet uses a series of metaphors to paint the scene of a restored Israel. The oracles have an eschatological dimension to them, particularly the latter ones (38:1-39:29).
Overall, what we are given here is a song celebrating hope; nothing is impossible to the Lord: he is able to renew Israel (36:16-38), by giving her a new heart and a new spirit (v. 25); he can make the people come back to life (37:1-14); and the unity between this new people and their Lord will he almost like the way things were in Eden (37:15-28) — so wonderful that it will astonish the nations (37:28). The final oracles (38:1-39:29) are a dramatic climax that convey an idea of the vicissitudes of the chosen people up to when their fortunes will be permanently restored. The empires seem to be those determining the course of events, but that is not the case: the Lord is always in control and, when the end comes, his victory will be so amazing that not only Israel but all other nations, too, will know that he truly is the Lord.
36:16-38. In these oracles, which continue the proclamation of Israels restoration-purification, we can see the core of Ezekiels teaching, namely, that the Lord, who is above all things, is the one who determines the election, punishment and restoration of his people. People have an obligation to accept the gifts that God offers; they must acknowledge that the Lord is sovereign and free, and render him due worship. This teaching can be seen in the announcement about restoration and a return to the promised land (vv. 1624) and in the Lords promise of inner renewal (vv. 25-38).
They defiled it by their ways (v. 17): the peoples straying, their sins, defiled the promised land, the most precious of all the gifts God had given them. As Ezekiel explains it, their exile was a necessary punishment (v. 19), but it is also a condition for restoring to the land its lost honour.
The holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations (v. 22): when the pagan nations saw the Israelites being deported, they thought that the God of Israel had been defeated or, at least, that he had failed to protect his people. In this sense the exile caused the name of the Lord to he profaned among the nations. The return of the people to the promised land was a necessary part of their deliverance (v. 24). but it was also needed to vindicate the name of the Lord (v. 22). This theology of the Name of God carries over into the New Testament, where we find it as a petition in the Our Father (cf. Mt 6:9; Lk 11:2, and from there it becomes part of the whole Christian tradition. The Catechism of the Council of Trent has this to say about these verses of Ezekiel: Many people judge the truth of religion and of its Author by the deeds and lives of Christians. Those who truly profess their faith and put it into practice in their lives carry out the most valuable apostolate, provoking in others the desire to glorify the name of the heavenly Father (Roman Catechism, 4, 10, 9).
You shall be clean[sed] (v. 25): Ezekiel views the renewal of Israel from the perspective of divine worship — sprinkling with water and other purification rites being a sign of inner change. This passage can be read as an announcement of the effects of Baptism: Baptism, by the power of God, remits and pardons all sin — the original sin that we inherited from our first parents, and all our peronal sins, no matter how grave and terrible they may seem to us, no matter how grave and terrible they were. This truth was foretold long ago by the prophet Ezekiel, through whom the Lord God spoke: I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses (Ezek 36:25) (ibid., 2, 2, 42).
A new heart and a new spirit (v. 26): renewal affects a persons disposition (heart) and motivation (spirit). The Israelites will have a completely new life-force: as a result, their conduct will be perfect (v. 27), the Covenant will never again be broken (v. 28), and the land, also cleansed of defilement, will he abundant in the fruit it yields (v. 30).
Gods patent initiative in repatriating and renewing Israel is a proof of his disinterested love for his people. Jesus makes this very clear, for example, in his discourse on the bread of life: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him (Jn 6:44). Our salvation flows from Gods initiative of love for us, because he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins (Jn 4:10) (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 620).
HARD to believe.
What were they looking for--"online forgiveness"??
From: Romans 6:3-11
Baptism (Continuation)
[5] For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. [6] We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. [7] For He who has died is freed from sin. [8] But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. [9] For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. [10] The death He died He died to sin once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. [11] So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
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Commentary:
1-11. The universal dominion of sin, which began with the sin of Adam, is not the only event to be reckoned with. When sin reached its full extent, the grace brought by Jesus Christ came in superabundance. Through Baptism this grace reaches each of us and frees us from the control of sin. When we receive this Sacrament we die: that is to say, our blameworthiness is destroyed, we renounce sin once and for all, and are born again into a new life.
“The Lord”, St. Ambrose tells the newly baptized, “who wanted His benefactions to endure, the serpent’s plans to be turned to naught, and the harm done to be put right, delivered a sentence to mankind: ‘You are dust, and to dust you shall return’ (Genesis 3:19), and made man subject to death [...]. The remedy was given him: man would die and rise again [...]. You ask me how? [...] Pay attention. So that in this world too the devil’s snare would be broken, a rite was instituted whereby man would die, being alive, and rise again, being alive [...].Through immersion in water the sentence is blotted out: ‘You are dust, and to dust you shall return’” (”De Sacramentis”, II, 6).
This passage of the epistle, which reveals the key truths concerning Baptism, also reminds us of the profound meaning of this rite which Christ established, its spiritual effects in Christians and its far-reaching effects with respect to the Christian life. Thus, we can
apply to Baptism what St. Thomas Aquinas says about all the sacraments: “Three aspects of sanctification may be considered—its very cause, which is Christ’s Passion; its form, which is grace and the virtues; and its ultimate end, which is eternal life. And all these are
signified by the sacraments. Consequently, a sacrament is a sign which is both a reminder of the past, that is, of the Passion of Christ, and an indication of what is effected in us by Christ’s Passion, and a foretelling and pledge of future glory” (”Summa Theologiae”, III, q. 60, a. 3).
In the specific case of Baptism, the various things which the Sacrament implies carry a special nuance—a new birth which presupposes a symbolic death. It reproduces in us not only the Passion, Death and burial of Christ, symbolized by immersion in water (verses 3-4, 6), but also new life, the life of grace which pours into the soul, enabling the person to share in the Resurrection of Christ (verses 4-5). This sharing in Christ’s Resurrection to immortal life is a kind of seed which will ultimately produce the glorious resurrection of our bodies.
The baptized person is, therefore, someone newly created, someone born into a new life, someone who has moved out of darkness into light. The white garment used at Baptism symbolizes innocence and grace; the burning candle, the light of Christ—two symbols the Church uses in the baptismal liturgy to signify what is happening.
Thus, in Baptism, God “removes every trace of sin, whether original or personal” (”The Rite of Baptism”, Introduction, 5) and also remits the penalties that these sins incur. On being baptized in the name of the Three Divine Persons, the Christian is shown God the Father’s love for him (a love he has not merited), is given a share in the Paschal Mystery of the Son, and to him is communicated new life in the Spirit (cf. “Instruction on Infant Baptism”, 20 October 1980, 9). Baptism, which is also described as “the door of the spiritual life”, unites a person to Christ and to the Church by means of grace, which makes us children of God and heirs to Heaven. Finally, in addition to the infused virtues and supernatural gifts, the person is given “the graces necessary to live in a Christian way, and on his soul is impressed the sacramental character which makes him a Christian for evermore” (”St. Pius X Catechism”, 250).
Baptism, which confers a “character”, that is, a kind of seal confirming our Christian calling, gives us a share in Christ’s priesthood and makes us capable of receiving the other sacraments.
4. It is easier to grasp the symbolism of burial and resurrection if one remembers that in earlier times, and particularly in the apostolic
period, Baptism was usually administered by immersion in water—in some cases by total immersion, up to three times, with one Person of the Blessed Trinity being invoked each time. “They asked you, ‘Do you believe in God the Father almighty?’ You said, ‘I believe’, and you were immersed, that is, you were buried. Again they asked you, ‘Do you believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and in His Cross?’ You said, ‘I believe’, and you were again immersed. This time you have been buried with Christ, and he who is buried with Christ rises with Christ. For a third time you were asked, ‘Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?’ You said, ‘I believe’, and for a third time you were immersed, so that by this three-fold confession you might be loosed of your many attachments to your past life” (St. Ambrose, “De Sacramentis”, II, 7).
Today Baptism is normally administered by pouring water over the head— a method also used in apostolic times and which gradually came into general use because it was found more convenient.
5. Just as the ingraft and the plant form a single thing and make a single principle of life, Christians by being grafted onto or
incorporated into Christ through Baptism form one single thing with Him and begin to draw on His divine life. We are also “united with Him in a death like His”: Christ suffered physical death; we, in Baptism, die spiritually to the life of sin. St. John Chrysostom explains this as follows: “Baptism is for us what the Cross and burial were for Christ; but with this difference: the Savior died physically, He was physically buried, whereas we ought to die spiritually. That is why the Apostle does not say we are ‘united with Him with His death’, but ‘in a death LIKE HIS’” (”Hom. on Rom.”, 10).
9-10. Jesus Christ chose to bear all the consequences of sin, even though He was sinless. His voluntary death on the Cross and His
glorious Resurrection broke the bonds of death, for Himself and for all His own. Death no longer shall have dominion: “[Christ died] that through death He might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15). And as a consequence He won, for His own human nature and for us, a new life.
In all those who have been baptized these same events in Christ’s life are in some way reproduced. “Our past sins have been wiped out by the action of grace. Now, so as to stay dead to sin after Baptism, personal effort is called for, although God’s grace continues to be with us, providing us with great help” (Chrysostom, “Hom. on Rom.”, 11). This personal effort might be encapsulated in a resolution: “May we never die through sin; may our spiritual resurrection be eternal” ([St] J. Escriva, “Holy Rosary”, 1st Glorious Mystery).
From: Matthew 28:1-10
Jesus Appears To The Women
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Commentary:
1-15. The resurrection of Jesus, which happened in the early hours of the Sunday morning, is a fact which all the evangelist state clearly and unequivocally. Some holy women discover to their surprise that the tomb is open. On entering the hall (cf. Mark 16:5-6), they see an angel who says to them, “He is not here; for He has risen, as He said.” The guards who were on duty when the angel rolled back the stone go to the city and report what has happened to the chief priests. These, because of the urgency of the matter, decide to bribe the guards; they give them a considerable sum of money on condition that they spread the word that His disciples came at night and stole the body of Jesus when they were asleep. “Wretched craftiness,” says St. Augustine, “do you give us witnesses who were asleep? It is you who are really asleep if this is the only kind of explanation you have to offer!” (”Ennarationes in Psalmos”, 63, 15). The Apostles, who a couple of days before fled in fear, will, now that they have seen Him and have eaten and drunk with Him, become tireless preachers of this great event: “This Jesus, they will say, “God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32).
Just as He foretold He would go up to Jerusalem and be delivered to the leaders of the Jews and put to death, He also prophesied that He would rise from the dead (Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-34). By His resurrection He completes the sign He promised to give unbelievers to show His divinity (Matthew 12:40).
The resurrection of Christ is one of the basic dogmas of the Catholic faith. In fact, St. Paul says, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14); and, to prove his assertion that Christ rose, he tells us “that He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. Then He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me” (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). The creed states that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day (”Nicene Creed”), by His own power (Ninth Council of Toledo, “De Redemptione Creed”), by a true resurrection of the flesh (”Creed” of St. Leo IX), reuniting His soul with His body (Innocent III, “Eius Exemplo”), and that this fact of the resurrection is historically proven and provable (”Lamentabili”, 36).
“By the word `resurrection’ we are not merely to understand that Christ was raised from the dead...but that He rose by His own power and virtue, a singular prerogative peculiar to Him alone. Our Lord confirmed this by the divine testimony of His own mouth when He said: `I lay down My life, that I may take it again....I have power to lay it down: and I have power to take it up again’ (John 10:17-18). To the Jews He also said, in corroboration of His doctrine” `Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up’ (John 2:19-20) [...]. We sometimes, it is true, read in Scripture that He was raised by the Father (cf. Acts 2:24; Romans 8:11); but this refers to Him as man, just as those passages on the other hand, which say that He rose by His own power, related to Him as God” (”St. Pius V Catechism”, I, 6, 8).
Christ’s resurrection was not a return to His previous earthly existence; it was a “glorious” resurrection, that is to say, attaining the full development of human life—immortal, freed from all limitations of space and time. As a result of the resurrection, Christ’s body now shares in the glory which His soul had from the beginning. Here lies the unique nature of the historical fact of the resurrection. He could not be seen by anyone but only by those to whom He granted that grace, to enable them to be witnesses of this resurrection, and to enable others to believe in Him by accepting the testimony of the seers.
Christ’s resurrection was something necessary for the completion of the work of our Redemption. For, Jesus Christ through His death freed us from sins; but by His resurrection He restored us all that we had lost through sin and, moreover, opened for us the gates of eternal life (cf. Romans 4:25). Also, the fact that He rose from the dead by His own power is a definitive proof that He is the Son of God, and therefore His resurrection fully confirms our faith in His divinity.
The resurrection of Christ, as has been pointed out, is the most sublime truth of our faith. That is why St. Augustine exclaims: “It is no great thing to believe that Christ died; for this is something that is also believed by pagans and Jews and by all the wicked: everyone believes that He died. The Christians’ faith is in Christ’s resurrection; that is what we hold to be a great thing—to believe that He rose” (”Enarrationes in Psalmos”, 120).
The mystery of the Redemption wrought by Christ, which embraces His death and resurrection, is applied to every man and woman through Baptism and the other sacraments, by means of which the believer is as it were immersed in Christ and in His death, that is to say, in a mystical way he becomes part of Christ, he dies and rises with Christ: “We were buried therefore with Him by baptism unto death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).
An ardent desire to seek the things of God and an interior taste for the things that are above (cf. Colossians 3:1-3) are signs of our resurrection with Christ.
Liturgical colour: White.
There is no Mass on Holy Saturday itself. Here are the readings for the evening Easter Vigil.
First reading | Genesis 1:1-2:2 © |
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Psalm |
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Psalm 103(104):1-2,5-6,10,12-14,24,35 © |
Second reading | Genesis 22:1-18 © |
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Psalm |
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Psalm 15(16):5,8-11 © |
Third reading |
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Exodus 14:15-15:1 © |
Canticle | Exodus 15 © |
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Fourth reading | Isaiah 54:5-14 © |
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Psalm |
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Psalm 29(30):2,4-6,11-13 © |
Fifth reading | Isaiah 55:1-11 © |
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Canticle | Isaiah 12 © |
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Sixth reading |
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Baruch 3:9-15,32-4:4 © |
Psalm |
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Psalm 18(19):8-11 © |
Seventh reading |
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Ezekiel 36:16-17,18-28 © |
Psalm |
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Psalm 41(42):2-3,5,42:3-4 © |
Epistle | Romans 6:3-11 © |
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Psalm |
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Psalm 117(118):1-2,16-17,22-23 © |
Gospel | Matthew 28:1-10 © |
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I looked at it as just another attack on Catholics.
Pray for Pope Francis.
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