Posted on 05/03/2007 8:21:02 AM PDT by Clive
During the initial weeks of Lent 2007 in early March I avoided commenting on the sensational story of the alleged discovery of the tomb of Jesus in a Jerusalem neighbourhood.
While it is true that tombs were found in Jerusalem's Talpiot section and the names of Jesus, Mary, Joseph and Matthew seem to have been engraved on the tombs, few people spoke of how common such names were during the first century. The media hype, though short lived, certainly put the theme of the resurrection front and centre of our Lenten and Easter journeys this year.
James Cameron's documentary The Lost Tomb of Jesus, produced in collaboration with archeologist Simcha Jacobovici was broadcast at the beginning of Lent. The tomb story tried to call into question what lies at the heart of our Christian faith: The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
What was most troubling and amazing about the recent publicity stunt of Jesus' burial place and the alleged DNA findings of Jesus and his family is how much ink the media spilled (and wasted) on utter nonsense. The whole tomb story tried to call into question what lies at the heart of our Christian faith: The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. People said it was a matter of intellectual pursuit and freedom, of speculation, growth and mature questioning. Nonsense.
If such a publicity stunt were ever pulled against Jewish or Muslim traditions or their sacred texts, we could only imagine what the response would have been!
The tomb story ultimately damaged the serious work of honest and intelligent archeologists who make significant contributions to history and civilization. Rather than shaking the faith of Christians and Catholics, this story called into question the folly of self-proclaimed experts who have neither faith nor intellectual integrity.
Let's do a post-mortem on the tomb story. Any way you look at Jesus' resurrection after more than 2,000 years, so many of us continue to focus our energy on that tomb, on that morning, on what did or did not happen there and how to explain it to anyone who does not happen to believe it. Not a single Gospel tells us how it happened. The tomb was just the pretext.
The story of Jesus' resurrection, at the heart of the Christian faith, is about two friends of Jesus who gave up after the events of Good Friday and tried to wander back into oblivion, to a unknown town called Emmaus, only to meet the Good Shepherd in person who brought them back. It's about a woman -- Mary of Magdala who was stuck in her story and grief and didn't recognize that her beloved was standing in front of her -- not as gardener but as the Lord. It's an incredible story about Thomas, who far from being the chronic doubter, was really the lover who didn't want to ever get burned so badly again. It's about Peter who, before he could be the rock, had to be weak, impetuous, denying, thick headed, and foolish. It's about John who stayed close to the source, always believing the words of his friend. Jesus' appearance to the apostles in the upper room following his resurrection continues to have much to say to modern-day Christians.
One doesn't sit at a computer and type "Jesus is risen." Nor does one set out to disprove it on an archeological dig. Jesus' victory over death belongs to the church's ongoing pastoral and sacramental life and its mission to the world. The church practices resurrection in churches and in nursing homes, in bombed-out neighbourhoods in Iraq, in soup kitchens and hospices of our neighbourhoods, and, of course, in cemeteries in our own cities. The church, not Hollywood nor museums, is the living community of those who have the competence to recognize Jesus as the risen Lord. As long as we remain in dialogue with Jesus, our darkness will give way to dawn, and we will become "competent" for witness to the resurrection.
Unless you were improperly instructed, you were NEVER taught that the Blessed Mother ascended into Heaven, you would have been taught that she was ASSUMED. The Lord Ascended into Heaven of His own Power; the Holy Mother was assumed through God's Power, not her's.
Nevertheless, teachings on Assumption are silent as to whether the Blessed Virgin was buried and does not even speak to her death (though it is presumed that she did die a natural death). So, there is no conflict between her being buried and assumed, especially when you consider the practice of the day of immediately cleaning the body and then burying it upon death (burial was generally within a couple hours of death).
I saw parts of many extremely questionable offerings on National Geographic Canada about the Bible in general and about Jesus. They were smarmy and snide and suggestive and designed to leave the viewer with nasty nagging questions about Jesus and the Bible. These were, I believe, aired up to and encompassing Easter. I say I saw only parts of these because I kept going back once in a while for a few minutes to see what kind of sleaze they were dredging up - and I was never disappointed!
Not every one believes that she was assumed into heaven. Some of us believe her body was buried.
Count me among those... Also, as a (non-practicing) Catholic-raised person, I have a hard time believing in the resurrection as well.
So were there or were there not tombs with the names Jesus, Mary, Joseph and Matthew?
If someone doesn’t want to know the Truth, they’ll come up with any excuse, no matter how ridiculous.
Indeed.
The Lord’s commandment was to take the Gospel to all the world. He did not say that everyone would believe it. Once heard, it is up to the individual to accept it or not. They are, then, responsible for their own salvation. You did what Christ commanded. His salvation is not your responsiblity, it is the hearers. God gave us all a free will.
On the other hand, I did get to listen to about half of the producers comments at Lunacon 50, in Rye, NY, back in March. It was a nice little story about archeaology . . . but the rest was hogwash, of course. Made a compelling case, but it was a sci-fi convention and most of the attendees for that panel probably hadn’t slept a lot the night before . . . .
The solution to this is obvious- don’t watch or purchase the “documentary.”
Actually, calling this a documentary is like calling The National Enquirer journalism.
Q: A recent ad for travel to Israel includes the phrase, “You can visit Mary’s tomb.” This bothers me. We are taught by the Church that her body was assumed into heaven. Why then would she need a tomb? Is it empty?
A: A structure known as the Tomb of Mary is located just east of the Old City of Jerusalem and literally a stone’s throw from the Church of All Nations (Gethsemani). Everyone agrees that this tomb does not now contain the body or bones of Mary.
In 1950, when he proclaimed the dogma of Mary’s Assumption, Pope Pius XII did not say whether Mary died or not; he said that she was assumed bodily into heaven.
One reason for not making this part of the teaching is that the Eastern Churches (Orthodox and Catholic) speak of the “dormition” (sleeping away) of Mary. According to one tradition, Mary actually died, was buried and soon the faithful found flowers instead of her body in that tomb. According to another tradition, Mary spent her last years in Ephesus, in modern-day Turkey.
Greek Orthodox monks staff the church where the Tomb of Mary is located, but this shrine outside Jerusalem is open to everyone.
I'm Baptist. The explanation I've heard for why Mary was buried in Ephesus is that Jesus gave John charge of his mother at the crucifixion. John, of course, went to Turkey, and Mary went with him. John was ultimately banished to the Isle of Patmos (near Ephesus), where he wrote Revelation.
http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Oct1999/Wiseman.asp#F3
Titanic is off the “must suffer through on valentine’s day” list.
If the “mrs.” wants me and by extension her happy that movie is DOA
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