DAILY READING and REFLECTIONS For Sunday, June 01, 2014 7th week of Easter - Proper (White) Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Readings: Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-9; Eph 1:17-23; Mt 28:16-20 Response: God mounts his throne to shouts of joy, a blare of trumpets for the Lord. Rosary: Glorious Mysteries Key Verse: Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. SAINT OF THE DAY: Saint Justin, Martyr Birth: 100 = Death: 165 Christian apologist, born at Flavia Neapolis, about A.D. 100, converted to Christianity about A.D. 130, taught and defended the Christian religion in Asia Minor and at Rome, where he suffered martyrdom about the year 165. Two Apologies bearing his name and his Dialogue with the Jew Tryphon have come down to us. Leo XIII had a Mass and an Office composed in his honor. READINGS FOR THE DAY: READING 1: Acts 1:1-11 1 In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning 2 until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. 3 He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God. 4 While at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. It is, he had said, what you have heard me speak about: 5 John baptised with water but, not many days from now, you are going to be baptised with the Holy Spirit. 6 Now having met together, they asked him, Lord, has the time come for you to restore the kingdom to Israel? 7 He replied, It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, 8 but you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit which will come on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to earths remotest end. 9 As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight. 10 They were still staring into the sky as he went, when suddenly two men in white were standing beside them, 11 and they said, Why are you Galileans standing here looking into the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way as you have seen him go to heaven. RESPONSORIAL PSALM, Psalms 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 2 For Yahweh, the Most High, is glorious, the great king over all the earth. 3 He brings peoples under our yoke and nations under our feet. 6 Let the music sound for our God, let it sound, let the music sound for our king, let it sound. 7 For he is king of the whole world; learn the music, let it sound for God! 8 God reigns over the nations, seated on his holy throne. 9 The leaders of the nations rally to the people of the God of Abraham. The shields of the earth belong to God, who is exalted on high. READING 2, Ephesians 1:17-23 17 May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. 18 May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, how rich is the glory of the heritage he offers among his holy people, 19 and how extraordinarily great is the power that he has exercised for us believers; this accords with the strength of his power 20 at work in Christ, the power which he exercised in raising him from the dead and enthroning him at his right hand, in heaven, 21 far above every principality, ruling force, power or sovereignty, or any other name that can be named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22 He has put all things under his feet, and made him, as he is above all things, the head of the Church; 23 which is his Body, the fullness of him who is filled, all in all. GOSPEL, Matthew 28:16-20 16 Meanwhile the eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. 17 When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. 18 Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time. REFLECTIONS: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God) OPENING PRAYER: Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection. Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen. ON READING 1: Acts 1:1-11 (Prologue and The Ascension) St Luke is the only New Testament author to begin his book with a prologue, in the style of secular historians. The main aim of this preface is to convey to the reader the profoundly religious character of the book which he is holding in his hands. It is a work which will give an account of events marking the fulfillment of the promises made by the God of Israel the Creator and Savior of the world. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, into his book St Luke weaves quotations from the Psalms, Isaiah, Amos and Joel; it both reflects the Old Testament and interprets it in the light of its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The prologue refers to St Lukes Gospel as a first book. It mentions the last events of our Lords life on earth--the appearances of the risen Christ and his as- cension into heaven--and links them up with the account which is now beginning. St Lukes aim is to describe the origins and the early growth of this Christianity, of which the main protagonist of this book, the Holy Spirit, has been the cause. Yet this is not simply an historical record: the Acts of the Apostles, St Jerome explains, seems to be a straightforward historical account of the early years of the nascent Church. But if we bear in mind it is written by Luke the physician, who is praised in the Gospel (cf. 2 Cor 8: 18), we will realize that everything he says is medicine for the ailing soul (Epistle 53, 9). The spiritual dimension of this book, which is one of a piece with the Third Gospel, nourished the soul of the first generations of Christians, providing them with a chronicle of Gods faithful and loving support of the new Israel. This book, St. John Chrysostom writes at the start of his great commentary, will profit us no less than the Gospels, so replete is it with Christian wisdom and sound doctrine. It offers an account of the numerous miracles worked by the Holy Spirit. It contains the fulfillment of the prophecies of Jesus Christ recorded in the Gospel; we can observe in the very facts the bright evidence of Truth which shines in them, and the mighty change which is taking place in the Apostles: they become perfect men, extraordinary men, now that the Holy Spirit has come upon them. All Christs promises and predictions--He who believes in me will do these and even greater works, you will be dragged before tribunals and kings and beaten in the synagogues, and will suffer grievous things, and yet you will overcome your persecutors and executioners and will bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth--all this, how it came to pass, may be seen in this admirable book. Here you will see the Apostles speeding their way overland and sea as if on wings. These Galileans, once so timorous and obtuse, we find suddenly changed into new men, despising wealth and honor, raised above passion and concupiscence (Hom. on Acts, 1). St Luke dedicates this book to Theophilus--as he did his Gospel. The dedication suggests that Theophilus was an educated Christian, of an upper-class background, but he may be a fictitious person symbolizing the beloved of God, which is what the name means. It also may imply that Acts was written quite soon after the third Gospel. To do and teach: these words very concisely sum up the work of Jesus Christ, reported in the Gospels. They describe the way in which Gods saving Revelation operates: God lovingly announces and reveals himself in the course of human history through his actions and through his words. The economy of Revelation is realized by deeds and words, which are intrinsically bound up with each other, Vatican II teaches. As a result, the works performed by God in the history of salvation show forth and bear out the doctrine and realities signified by the words; the words, for their part, proclaim the works, and bring to light the mystery they contain. The most intimate truth which this revelation gives us about God and the salvation of man shines forth in Christ, who is himself both the mediator and the sum total of Revelation (Dei Verbum, 2). The Lord proclaimed the kingdom of the Father both by the testimony of his life and by the power of his word (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 35). He did not limit himself to speech, to being simply the Teacher whose words opened mans minds to the truth. He was, above all, the Redeemer, able to save fallen man through the divine efficacy of each and every moment of his life on earth. Our Lord took on all our weaknesses, which proceed from sin--with the exception of sin itself. He experienced hunger and thirst, sleep and fatigue, sadness and tears. He suffered in every possible way, even the supreme suffering of death. No one could be freed from the bonds of sinfulness had he who alone was totally innocent not been ready to die at the hands of impious men. Therefore, our Savior, the Son of God, has left all those who believe in him an effective source of aid, and also an example. The first they obtain by being reborn through grace, the second by imitating his life (St Leo the Great, Twelfth Homily on the Passion). Jesus redemptive action--his miracles, his life of work, and the mystery of his death, resurrection and ascension, whose depth and meaning only faith can plumb--also constitute a simple and powerful stimulus for our everyday conduct. Faith should always be accompanied by works, by deeds, that is, our humble and necessary cooperation with Gods saving plans. Dont forget that doing must come before teaching. Coepit facere et docere, the holy Scripture says of Jesus Christ: He began to do and to teach. First deeds: so that you and I might learn (St. J. Escriva, The Way, 342). This verse recalls the account in Luke 24:13-43 of the appearances of the risen Jesus to the disciples of Emmaus and to the Apostles in the Cenacle. It stresses the figure of forty days. This number may have a literal meaning and also a deeper meaning. In Sacred Scripture periods of forty days or forty years have a clearly salvific meaning: they are periods during which God prepares or effects important stages in his plans. The great flood lasted forty days (Gen 7:17); the Israelites journeyed in the wilderness for forty years on their way to the promised land (Ps 95:10); Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai to receive Gods revelation of the Covenant (Ex 24:18); on the strength of the bread sent by God Elisha walked for- ty days and forty nights to reach his destination (1 Kings 19:8); and our Lord fasted in the wilderness for forty days in preparation for his public life (Mt 4:2). You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit: this book has been well described as the Gospel of the Holy Spirit. There is hardly a page in the Acts of the Apostles where we fail to read about the Spirit and the action by which he guides, directs and enlivens the life and work of the early Christian community. It is he who inspires the preaching of St Peter (cf. Acts 4:8), who strengthens the faith of the disciples (cf. Acts 4:31), who confirms with his presence the calling of the Gentiles (cf. Acts 10:44-47), who sends Saul and Barnabas to distant lands, where they will open new paths for the teaching of Jesus (cf. Acts 13:2-4). In a word, his presence and doctrine are everywhere (St. Escriva, Christ Is Passing By, 127). The Apostles question shows that they are still thinking in terms of earthly restoration of the Davidic dynasty. It would seem that for them --as for many Jews of their time-- eschatological hope in the Kingdom extended no further than expectation of world-embracing Jewish hegemony. It seems to me, St John Chrysostom comments, that they had not any clear notion of the nature of the Kingdom, for the Spirit had not yet instructed them. Notice that they do not ask when it shall come but Will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?, as if the Kingdom were something that lay in the past. This question shows that they were still attracted by earthly things, though less than they had been (Hom. on Acts, 2). Our Lord gives an excellent and encouraging reply, patiently telling them that the Kingdom is mysterious in character, that it comes when one least expects, and that they need the help of the Holy Spirit to be able to grasp the teaching they have received. Jesus does not complain about their obtuseness; he simply corrects their ideas and instructs them. The outline of Acts is given here: the author plans to tell the story of the growth of the Church, beginning in Jerusalem and spreading through Judea and Samaria to the ends of the earth. This is the geographical structure of St Lukes account. In the Third Gospel Jerusalem was the destination point of Jesus public life (which began in Galilee); here it is the departure point. The Apostles mission extends to the whole world. Underlying this verse we can see not so much a geographical dimension as the universalist aspirations of the Old Testament, articulated by Isaiah: It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Is 2:2-3). Jesus life on earth did not end with his death on the Cross but with his ascension into heaven. The ascension, reported here, is the last event, the last mystery of our Lords life on earth (cf. also 24:50-53)--and also it concerns the origins of the Church. The ascension scene takes place, so to speak, between heaven and earth. Why did a cloud take him out of the Apostles sight?, St John Chrysostom asks. The cloud was a sure sign that Jesus had already entered heaven; it was not a whirlwind or a chariot of fire, as in the case of the prophet Elijah (cf. 2 Kings 2:11), but a cloud, which was a symbol of heaven itself (Hom. on Acts, 2). A cloud features in theophanies--manifestations of God--in both the Old Testament (cf. Ex 13:22) and the New (cf. Lk 9:34f). Our Lords ascension is one of the actions by which Jesus redeems us from sin and gives us the new life of grace. It is a redemptive mystery What we have already taught of the mystery of his death and resurrection the faithful should deem not less true of his ascension. For although we owe our redemption and salvation to the passion of Christ, whose merits opened heaven to the just, yet his ascension is not only proposed to us as a model, which teaches us to look on high and ascend in spirit into heaven, but it also imparts to us a divine virtue which enables us to accomplish what it teaches (St Pius V Catechism I, 7, 9). Our Lords going up into heaven is not simply something which stirs us to lift up our hearts--as we are invited to do at the preface of the Mass, to seek and love the things that are above (cf. Col 3:1-2); along with the other mysteries of his life, death and resurrection, Christs ascension saves us. Today we are not only made possessors of paradise, St Leo says, but we have ascended with Christ, mystically but really, into the highest heaven, and through Christ we have obtained a more ineffable grace than that which we lost through the devils envy (First Homily on the Ascension). The ascension is the climax of Christs exaltation, which was achieved in the first instance by his resurrection and which--along with his passion and death--constitutes the paschal mystery. The Second Vatican Council expresses this as follows: Christ our Lord redeemed mankind and gave perfect glory to God principally by the paschal mystery of his blessed passion, resurrection from the dead, and glorious ascension (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 5; cf. Dei Verbum, 19). Theology has suggested reasons why it was very appropriate for the glorified Lord to go up into heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Father. First of all, he ascended ecause the glorious kingdom of the highest heavens, not the obscure abode of this earth, presented a suitable dwelling place for him whose body, rising from the tomb, was clothed with the glory of immortality. He ascended, however, not only to possess the throne of glory and the kingdom which he had merited by his blood, but also to attend to whatever regards our salvation. Again, he ascended to prove thereby that his kingdom is not of this world (St Pius V Catechism, I, 7, 5; cf. Summa Theologiae, III, q. 57, a. 6). The ascension marks the point when the celestial world celebrates the victory and glorification of Christ: It is fitting that the sacred humanity of Christ should receive the homage, praise and adoration of all the hierarchies of the Angels and of all the legions of the blessed in heaven (St. J. Escriva, Holy Rosary, second glorious mystery). The angels are referring to the Parousia--our Lords second coming, when he will judge the living and the dead. They said to them, What are you doing here, looking into heaven? These words are full of solicitude, but they do not proclaim the second coming of the Savior as imminent. The angels simply assert what is most important, that is, that Jesus Christ will come again and the confidence with which we should await his return (St John Chrysostom, Hom. on Acts, 2). We know for a certainty that Christ will come again at the end of time. We confess this in the Creed as part of our faith. However, we know neither the day nor the hour (Mt 25:13) of his coming. We do not need to know it. Christ is always imminent. We must always be on the watch, that is, we should busy ourselves in the service of God and of others, which is where our sanctification lies. ON READING 2: Ephesians 1:17-23 (Thanksgiving. The Supremacy of Christ) The God whom St Paul addresses is the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is, the God who has revealed himself through Christ and to whom Jesus himself, as man, prays and asks for help (cf. Lk 22:42). The same God as was described in the Old Testament as the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob is now defined as the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the personal God recognized by his relationship with Christ, his Son, who as mediator of the New Covenant obtains from God the Father everything he asks for. This will be our own experience too if we are united to Christ, for he promised that if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name (Jn 16:23; 15:16). The founder of Opus Dei reminds us that Jesus is the way, the mediator. In him are all things; outside of him is nothing. In Christ, taught by him, we dare to call Almighty God our Father: he who created heaven and earth is a loving Father (Christ Is Passing By, 91). The Apostle also calls God the Father of glory. The glory of God means his greatness, his power, the infinite richness of his personality, which when it is revealed inspires man with awe. Already, in the history of Israel, God revealed himself through his saving actions in favor of his people. Asking God to glorify his name is the same as asking him to show himself as our Savior and to give us his gifts. But the greatest manifestation of Gods glory, of his power, was the raising of Jesus from the dead, and the raising, with him, of the Christian (cf. Rom 6:4; 1 Cor 6:14). In this passage St Paul asks God the Father of glory to grant Christians supernatural wisdom to recognize the greatness of the blessings he has given them through his Son; that is, to acknowledge that he is their Father and the origin of glory. By asking for a spirit of wisdom and revelation the Apostle is seeking special gifts--on the one hand, wisdom, that gift of the Holy Spirit which enables one to penetrate the mystery of God: Who has learned thy counsel, unless thou hast given wisdom and sent thy holy Spirit from on high? (Wis 9:17). This wisdom which the Church has been given (cf. Eph 1:8 ) can be communicated to Christians in a special way, as a special gift or charism of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle also asks God to give them a spirit of revelation, that is, the grace of personal revelations, such as he himself (cf. 1 Cor 14:6) and other Christians (cf. 1 Cor 14:26) received. It is not a matter of revelation or recognition of new truths, but rather of special light from the Holy Spirit so as to have a deeper appreciation of the truth of faith, or of the will of God in a particular situation. Along with this deeper knowledge of God, St Paul asks that Christians be given a fuller and livelier hope, because God and hope are inseparable. He recognizes the faith and charity of the faithful to whom he is writing (cf. 1:15); now he wants hope to shine more brightly for them; he wants God to enlighten their minds and make them realize the consequences of their election, their calling, to be members of the holy people of God, the Church. Hope, therefore, is a gift from God. Hope is a supernatural virtue, infused by God into our soul, by which we desire and expect eternal life, promised by God to his servants, and the mean ne- cessary to obtain it (St Pius X Catechism, 893). The ground for hope lies in Gods love and power which have been manifested in the resurrection of Christ. This same power is at work in the Christian. Because Gods plan for our salvation is an eternal one, he who has called us will lead us to an immortal life in heaven. The fact that Gods power is at work in us (cf. Rom 5:5) does not mean that we encounter no difficulties. St. Escriva reminds us that as we fight this battle, which will last until the day we die, we cannot exclude the possibility that enemies both within and without may attack with violent force. As if that were not enough, you may at times be assailed by the memory of your own past errors, which may have been very many. I tell you now, in Gods name: do not despair. Should this happen (it need not happen; nor will it usually happen), then turn it into another motive for uniting yourself more closely to the Lord, for he has chosen you as his child and he will not abandon you. He has allowed this trial to befall you so as to have you love him the more and discover even more clearly his constant protection and love (Friends of God, 214). The Apostle is in awe at the marvels which Gods power has worked in Jesus Christ. He sees Christ as the source and model of our hope. For, just as Christs life is the model and exemplar of our holiness, so is the glory and exaltation of Christ the form and exemplar of our glory and exaltation (St Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Eph, ad. Ioc.). As elsewhere in the New Testament (cf. Acts 7:56; Heb 1:3; 1 Pet 3:22), the fact that the risen Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father means that he shares in Gods kingly authority. The Apostle is using a comparison with which people of his time were very familiar -- that of the emperor seated on his throne. The throne has always been the symbol of supreme authority and power. Thus, the St Pius V Catechism explains that being seated at the right hand does not imply position or posture of body, but expresses the firm and permanent possession of royal and supreme power and glory, which he received from the Father (I, 7, 3). Christs pre-eminence is absolute: he is Lord of all creation, material as well as spiritual, earthly as well as heavenly. All rule and authority and power and dominion: this refers to the angelic spirits (cf. note on Eph 3:10), whom the false preachers were presenting as superior to Christ. St Paul argues against them: Jesus Christ at his resurrection was raised by God above all created beings. In previous letters St Paul described the Church as a body (cf. Rom 12:4f; 1 Cor 12:12ff). Here, and in Colossians 1:18, he pursues this comparison and says that it is the body of Christ, and that Christ is its head. He returns to this teaching elsewhere in the Captivity Epistles (cf. Col 1:18 ; Eph 5:23f). The image of body and head highlights the life-giving and salvific influence of Christ on the Church, and at the same time emphasizes his supremacy over the Church (cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Eph, ad loc., and also the note on Col 1:18 ). This fact fills Christians with joy: by joining the Church through Baptism, they have become truly members of our Lords body. No, it is not pride, Paul VI says, nor arrogance nor obstinacy nor stupidity nor folly that makes us so sure of being living, genuine members of Christs body, the authentic heirs of his Gospel (Ecclesiam Suam, 33). This image also reveals Christs close union with his Church and his deep love for her: he loved her so much, St John of Avila observes, that although what normally happens is that a person raises his arm to take a blow and protect his head, this blessed Lord, who is the head, put himself forward to receive the blow of divine justice, and died on the Cross to give life to his body, that is, us. And after giving us life, through penance and the sacraments, he endows us, defends and keeps us as something so very much his own, that he is not content with calling us his servants, friends, brethren or children: the better to show his love and render us honor, he gives us his name. For, by means of this ineffable union of Christ the head with the Church his body, he and we are together called Christ (Audi, Filia, chap. 84). The Apostle also describes the Church, the body of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 12:12) as his fullness (cf. note on Col 1:19). What he means is that, through the Church, Christ becomes present in and fills the entire universe and extends to it the fruits of his redemptive activity. By being the vehicle which Christ uses to distribute his grace to all, the Church is different from the Israel of the Old Testament: it is not confined to a particular geographical location. Because the Church has limitless grace, its call is addressed to all mankind: all men are invited to attain salvation in Christ. For many centuries now, the Church has been spread throughout the world, St. Escriva comments, and it numbers persons of all races and walks of life. But the universality of the Church does not depend on its geographical extension, even though that is a visible sign and a motive of credibility. The Church was catholic already at Pentecost; it was born catholic from the wounded heart of Jesus, as a fire which the Holy Spirit enkindles. We call it catholic, writes St Cyril, not only because it is spread throughout the whole world, from one extreme to the other, but because in a universal way and without defect it teaches all the dogmas which men ought to know, of both the visible and the invisible, the celestial and the earthly. Likewise, because it draws to true worship all types of men, those who govern and those who are ruled, the learned and the ignorant. And finally, because it cures and makes healthy all kinds of sins, whether of the soul or of the body, possessing in addition--by whatever name it may be called--all the forms of virtue, in deeds and in words and in every kind of spiritual gift (Catechesis, 18, 23) (In Love with the Church, 9). All grace reaches the Church through Christ. The Second Vatican Council reminds us: He continually endows his body, that is, the Church, with gifts of ministries through which, by his power, we serve each other unto salvation so that, carrying out the truth in love, we may through all things grow into him who is our head (Lumen Gentium, 7). This is why St Paul calls the Church the body of Christ; and it is in this sense that it is the fullness (pleroma) of Christ--not because it in any way fills out or completes Christ but because it is filled with Christ, full of Christ, forming a single body with him, a single spiritual organism, whose unifying and life-giving principle is Christ, its head. This demonstrates Christs absolute supremacy; his unifying and life-giving influence extends from God to Christ, from Christ to the Church, and from the Church to all men. It is he in fact who fills all in all (cf. Eph 4:10; Col 1:17-19; 2:9f). The fact that the Church is the body of Christ is a further reason why we should love it and serve it. As Pope Pius XII wrote: To ensure that this genuine and whole-hearted love will reign in our hearts and grow every day, we must accustom ourselves to see Christ himself in the Church. For it is indeed Christ who lives in the Church, and through her teaches, governs and sanctifies; and it is also Christ who manifests himself in manifold disguise in the various members of his society (Mystici Corporis, 43). ON THE GOSPEL: Matthew 28:16-20 (Appearance in Galilee. The Mission to the World) This short passage, which brings to a close the Gospel of St Matthew, is of great importance. Seeing the risen Christ, the disciples adore him, worshipping him as God. This shows that at last they are fully conscious of what, from much earlier on, they felt in their heart and confessed by their words--that their Master is the Messiah, the Son of God (cf. Mt 16:18; Jn 1:49). They are overcome by amazement and joy at the wonder their eyes behold: it seems almost impossible, were he not before their very eyes. Yet he is completely real, so their fearful amazement gives way to adoration. The Master addresses them with the majesty proper to God: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Omnipotence, an attribute belonging exclusively to God, belongs to him: he is confirming the faith of his worshippers; and he is also telling them that the authority which he is going to give them to equip them to carry out their mission to the whole world, derives from his own divine authority. On hearing him speak these words, we should bear in mind that the authority of the Church, which is given it for the salvation of mankind, comes directly from Jesus Christ, and that this authority, in the sphere of faith and morals, is above any other authority on earth. The Apostles present on this occasion, and after them their lawful successors, receive the charge of teaching all nations what Jesus taught by word and work: he is the only path that leads to God. The Church, and in it all Christian faithful, have the duty to proclaim until the end of time, by word and example, the faith that they have received. This mission belongs especially to the successors of the Apostles, for on them devolves the power to teach with authority, for, before Christ ascended to his Father after his resurrection, he entrusted them with the mission and power to proclaim to mankind what they had heard, what they had seen with their eyes, what they had looked upon and touched with their hands, concerning the Word of Life (1 Jn 1:1). He also entrusted them with the mission and power to explain with authority what he had taught them, his words and actions, his signs and commandments. And he gave them the Spirit to fulfill their mission (John Paul II, Catechesi Tradendae, 1). Therefore, the teachings of the Pope and of the Bishops united to him should always be accepted by everyone with assent and obedience. Here Christ also passes on to the Apostles and their successors the power to baptize, that is, to receive people into the Church, thereby opening up to them the way to personal salvation. The mission which the Church is definitively given here at the end of St Matthews Gospel is one of continuing the work of Christ--teaching men and women the truths concerning God and the duty incumbent on them to identify with these truths, to make them their own by having constant recourse to the grace of the sacraments. This mission will endure until the end of time and, to enable it to do this work, the risen Christ promises to stay with the Church and never leave it. When Sacred Scripture says that God is with someone, this means that that per- son will be successful in everything he undertakes. Therefore, the Church, helped in this way by the presence of its divine Founder, can be confident of never failing to fulfill its mission down the centuries until the end of time. Matthew’s Gospel, written about the year 85, is addressed to a community of converted Jews who lived in Syria-Palestine. They were going through a deep identity crisis concerning their past. When they accepted Jesus as the awaited Messiah, they continued to go to the synagogue and to observe the law and the ancient traditions. Moreover, they had a certain affinity with the Pharisees, and after the revolution of the Jews in Palestine against the Romans (65 to 72), they and the Pharisees were the only two groups to have survived the Roman oppression. From the 80s, these Jewish brothers, Pharisees and Christians, only survivors, began to fight among themselves as to who had inherited the promises of the OT. Each claimed to be the inheritors. Gradually, tension grew between them and they began to excommunicate each other. The Christians could no longer attend the synagogue and were cut off from their past. Each group began to regroup: the Pharisees in the synagogue, the Christians in church. This added to the identity problem of the community of Jewish Christians because it raised serious questions in need of urgent solutions. Who has inherited the promises of the OT, those of the synagogue or those of the church? On whose side is God? Who are really the people of God? Now, Matthew writes his Gospel to help these communities overcome their crisis and to find an answer to their problems. His Gospel is, first of all, a Gospel of revelation showing how Jesus is the true Messiah, the new Moses, the culmination of the whole of the history of the OT and its promises. It is also the Gospel of consolation for those who felt excluded and persecuted by their Jewish brothers. Matthew wants to console and help them to overcome the trauma of the split. It is the Gospel of the new practice because it shows the way to achieve a new justice, greater than that of the Pharisees. It is the Gospel of openness and shows that the Good News of God that Jesus brought cannot be hidden, but must be placed on a candlestick so that it may enlighten the life of all peoples. Matthew 28:16: Returning to Galilee: It was in Galilee that it all began (Mt 4:12). It was there that the disciples first heard the call (Mt 4:15) and it was there that Jesus promised to reunite them again after the resurrection (Mt 26:31). In Luke, Jesus forbids them to leave Jerusalem (Acts 1:4). In Matthew they are commanded to leave Jerusalem and go back to Galilee (Mt 28: 7.10). Each evangelist has his own way of presenting the person of Jesus and his plans. For Luke, after the resurrection of Jesus, the proclamation of the Good News has to begin in Jerusalem in order to reach to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). For Matthew, the proclamation begins in Galilee of the pagans (Mt 4:15) in order to prefigure the passage from the Jews to the pagans. The disciples had to go to the mountain that Jesus pointed out to them. The mountain reminds us of Mount Sinai, where the first Covenant took place and where Moses received the tablets of the Law of God (Ex 19 to 24; 34:1-35). It also reminds us of the mountain of God, where the prophet Elijah took refuge in order to find again the meaning of his mission (1Kings 19:1-18). It also reminds us of the mountain of the Transfiguration, where Moses and Elijah, that is, the Law and the Prophets, appear with Jesus, thus confirming that he is the promised Messiah (Mt 17:1-8). * Matthew 28:17: Some doubted: The first Christians had great difficulty in believing in the resurrection. The evangelists insist in saying that they doubted a lot and did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus (Mk 16:11.13.14; Lk 24:11.21.25.36.41; Jn 20:25). Faith in the resurrection was a slow and difficult process, but ended by being the greatest certainty of Christians (1Cor 15:3-34). Matthew 28:18: All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me: The passive form of the verb shows that Jesus received his authority from the Father. What is this authority? In the Apocalypse, the Lamb (the risen Jesus) received from the hand of God the book with seven seals (Ap 5:7) and became the Lord of history, he who must assume the responsibility for the execution of God’s project as described in the sealed book, and as such is adored by all creatures (Ap 12:11-14). By his authority and power he conquers the Dragon, the power of evil (Ap 12:1-9). And captures the Beast and the false prophet, symbols of the Roman Empire (Ap 19:20). In the Creed at Mass we say that Jesus ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father, thus becoming the judge of the living and the dead. Matthew 28:19-20a: Jesus’ last words: three commands to the disciples: Vested with supreme authority, Jesus passes on three orders to the disciples and to all of us: (i) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations; (ii) baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; (iii) teach them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you. i) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations: To be a disciple is not the same as being a student. A disciple is in relation to the master. A student is in relation to the teacher. The disciple lives with the master 24 hours a day; the student receives lessons from the teacher for a few hours then goes back home. The disciple presupposes a community. The student presupposes being present in a classroom for lessons. The state of discipleship in those days was marked by the expression to follow the master. In the Carmelite Rule we read: To live in obedience to Jesus Christ. For the first Christians, to follow Jesus meant three connected things: 1. To imitate the example of the Master: Jesus was the model to imitate and to be repeated in the life of the disciple (Jn 13:13-15). Living together every day meant a constant meeting. In this School of Jesus only one subject was taught: the Kingdom! This Kingdom could be seen in the life and practice of Jesus. Sharing in the fate of the Master: Those who followed Jesus, had to commit themselves to stay with him in temptations (Lk 22:28), and in persecution (Jn 15:20; Mt 10:24-25) and had to be willing to take up the cross and die with him (Mk 8:34-35; Jn 11:36). To possess in oneself the life of Jesus: After Easter, a third dimension was added: I live now not I but Christ lives in me. The first Christians sought to identify themselves with Jesus. This is the mystical dimension in the following of Jesus, fruit of the Spirit’s action. 2. Baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: The Trinity is the source, the end and the way. Those baptised in the name of the Father, revealed in Jesus, commit themselves to live as brothers and sisters in fraternity. And if God is Father, we are all brothers and sisters. Those baptised in the name of the Son, Jesus, commit themselves to imitate Jesus and to follow him even unto the cross in order to rise with him. And the power that Jesus received from the Father is a creative power that conquers death. Those baptised in the Holy Spirit, given by Jesus on the day of Pentecost, commit themselves to interiorising fraternity and the following of Jesus, allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit alive in the community. 3. Teaching them to observe all my commands: For us Christians, Jesus is the New Law of God, proclaimed from on high in the mountain. Jesus is the chosen of the Father as the new Moses, whose word is law for us. Hear him (Mt 17:15). The Spirit sent by him will remind us of all the things he taught us (Jn 14:26; 16:13). The observance of the new Law of love is balanced by the gratuitous presence of Jesus in our midst, till the end of time. Matthew 28:20b: I am with you always, even to the end of time: When Moses was sent to free the people from Egypt, he received a guarantee from God, the only guarantee that offers complete certainty: Go, I shall be with you! (Ex 3:12). It is the same certainty promised to the prophets and other persons sent by God to undertake an important mission in God’s plan (Jer 1:8; Jud 6:16). Mary received the same guarantee when the angel said to her, The Lord is with you (Lk 1:28). The person of Jesus is the living expression of this guarantee, because his name is Emmanuel, God with us (Mt 1:23). He will be with his disciples, with all of us, even to the end of time. Here we see Jesus’ authority. He controls history and time. He is the first and the last (Ap 1:17). Before the first, nothing existed and after the last, nothing is. This guarantee sustains people, nourishes their faith, sustains hope and generates love and the gift of oneself. Abraham was called to be the source of blessings not only for his descendants, but for all families on earth (Gen 12:3). The slave people were called not only to restore the tribe of Jacob, but also to be light to the nations (Is 49:6; 42:6). The prophet Amos said that God not only freed Israel from Egypt, but also the Philistines from Kaftor and the Aramaians from Quir (Am 9:7). God, then, looks after and is concerned for the Israelites as well as for the Philistines and the Aramaians who were the greatest enemies of the people of Israel! The prophet Elijah thought he was the only defender of God (Kings 19:10.14), but he had to be told that apart from himself there were seven thousand others! (1Kings 18:18) The prophet Jonah wanted Yahweh to be only the God of Israel, but had to admit that he is the God of all nations, even the inhabitants of Niniveh, the bitterest enemies of Israel (Jo 4:1-11). In the New Testament, John, the disciple, wanted Jesus only for the little group, for the community, but Jesus corrected him and said, He who is not against me is for me! (Mk 9:348-40). At the end of the first century after Christ, the difficulties and persecutions could have driven the Christian communities into losing the missionary impetus and to close in on themselves, as if they were the only ones defending the values of the Kingdom. But Matthew’s Gospel, faithful to this long tradition of openness to all nations, tells the communities that they cannot close in on themselves. They cannot claim for themselves a monopoly on the action of God in the world. God is not the community’s property; rather the community is Yahweh’s property (Ex 19:5). In the midst of humanity that struggles against and resists oppression, the communities must be salt and yeast (Mt 5:13; 13:33). They must proclaim aloud to the whole world, among all nations, the Good News that Jesus brought us. God is present in our midst, the same God who, in Exodus, commits himself to free those who call on his name! (Ex 3:7-12). This is our mission. If this salt loses its savour, what will it be good for? It is of no use for the earth or for the fertiliser (Lk 14:35) FINAL PRAYERS: Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practise the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. Lord, when we feel distant to you and despair chokes our hearts, bring good people to us. Help their care and concern remind us that your hand is upon us. Amen. Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. -- St. Jerome The Father uttered one Word; that Word is His Son, and He utters Him forever in everlasting silence; and in silence the soul has to hear it. -- St. John of the Cross
Posted on: Sat, 31 May 2014 21:20:21 +0000