Humanity Is Created for Eternity

The scriptures tell us that the world is a marvel that was handed over to Adam as a sacred trust. The earth, out of which the human race was formed, was intended to provide sustenance for all the children of Adam and Eve.

Walking in the light of God’s loving gaze, we were to know peace, joy and happiness.

Having been created in the image and likeness of God, we were to open ourselves to God, following the example of the flowers of the field that open themselves to the rays of the sun.

We have only to recall these words of Saint Paul, “For God who said, ‘out of darkness let light shine,’ is He who has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory, which shines from the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

Shielded from the Light of Glory, we cannot grow to our full potential. Separated from the mercy of God, we are condemned to live in a land filled with shame and guilt, a land devoid of joy and peace.

Bathed in the light of Glory, we are empowered by God to bring creation to fulfillment. We know that there is more to us than skin and bone.

By using our gifts and talents, we journey towards our heavenly homeland. The challenge placed before us is to live in this world with our hearts set on our heavenly homeland. This becomes more challenging when secular society wants to believe that HERE is all that we get.

With the Apostle to the Gentiles, we need to announce: “Our citizenship is in heaven, and we are waiting with longing expectation for the return from heaven of our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20).

It is pleasant to bathe in the warmth of the sun; but it is better to allow the light of the Gospel to shine in our heart. As light was the beginning of the first creation; so, in the new creation, the light of the Spirit is his first work upon the soul. The treasure of Gospel light and grace is put into earthen vessels that are the handiwork of God.

As disciples of Christ and heirs of the kingdom, contrary to secular thought, we know that there is more to being human than meets the eye. By the power of God’s grace working in us, we can stretch ourselves forward, so as to become more and more like Christ.

Whoever has heaven in sight must press forward to it, in holy desires and hopes and constant endeavor.

Believers make Christ all in all and set their hearts on their heavenly homeland.

Those who have the Lord for their God, have his Spirit for their Guide; they are led by the Spirit.

God, in Christ, is our joy. He who emptied Himself of all glory and grandeur fills us with transforming grace, making us a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” (1 Pet. 2:9).

Saint Irenaeus said it most beautifully: “The glory of God gives life; those who see God receive life. For this reason God, Who cannot be grasped, comprehended or seen, allows Himself to be seen, comprehended and grasped by men, that He may give life to those who see and receive Him…. Life in man is the glory of God; the life of man is the vision of God. If the revelation of God through creation gives life to all who live upon the earth, much more does the manifestation of the Father through the Word give life to those who see God.”

--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO

Into the Desert

They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.  The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived. (Numbers 21: 4-9)

Moses and the Bronze Serpent

This reading recounts the story of our ancestors' pilgrimage through the desert. They were worn out by the long journey under the burning heat of the sun. They grumbled about what God had done for them and were not sure they wanted to trust Him in the days ahead. Once the novelty of eating the bread of angels wore off, they became bored with the manna that God graciously provided them each day. Like our ancestors in the faith, we tend to grow tired of our faith journey. We lose our enthusiasm for the kingdom, and the Gospel no longer fills us with joy. Because of the humdrum of day-to-day living, we no longer have a burning desire to press on to make our own that for which Christ has made us His own. Now is a time of grace for us. Today we are given an opportunity catch a second wind and recommit ourselves to the journey.

Christ of Saint John of the Cross by Salvador Dali (1951)

During moments of boredom, doubt and even despair, we find ourselves wandering aimlessly in the valley of darkness and death. Here, in the hour of greatest distress, The Lord grants us the grace to call out to Him that He might heal us. Impaled upon the cross, Christ calls to all who are groveling in the dust. He encourages us to lift up our heads and allow ourselves to be drawn to Him. Christ became the Lamb that died so that we might live as children of Light. Just as the bronze serpent raised up on a staff became an instrument of life for the Hebrews, so too Christ raised up on the cross became the instrument of life for us. When commenting on the bronze serpent, the rabbis observe that it was not the sight of the bronze serpent that cured those who were stricken, but the act of looking up towards the uplifted serpent that opened each individual to the healing power of God.

When  we approach the altar to receive Holy Communion, let us look upon the Lamb Who did not know sin but made Himself to be sin so that we who are sinners might be made holy. Let us humbly acknowledge our sinfulness and open our hearts to receive the gifts God offers us so that we might walk in the Light of Life as Children of God and heirs of the heavenly kingdom. May He who conquered sin and death set us free from our sins and the effects that they have on our lives. When the Lord returns on glory, may He bring us all together into everlasting life.

--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO

Divine Mercy Sunday, Saint Thomas Sunday,Whit Sunday

Divine Mercy Image of Jesus

In the West, the Sunday after Easter has been designated "Divine Mercy Sunday." In the East, it is called Saint Thomas Sunday. And for those old enough to remember, it had been called “Whit Sunday." This older title associated today with the Christian Initiation Rites of Holy Saturday. The newer name associates today with on-going conversion effected by the sacrament of penance. Through Baptism, we are called to newness of life in Christ. Through Penance we are enabled to reaffirm our union with Christ after personal sin and weaknesses have weakened that bond. Before proceeding, it might be helpful to recall Jesus’ comment to Peter at the Last Supper: "Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers" (Lk. 22:31-32). The mystery of divine love is that the Lord does not abandon us if we fall. It is at these moments that He prays for us and grants us the grace to turn back. In Christ, God stretches out a loving hand and if we grasp it, we can be forgiven and reconciled with the Body of Christ.

Through the mystery of the Incarnation Jesus (like the prodigal son) wandered far from His heavenly home to search out and find those who had strayed from the path of righteousness. Not only did He look for the lost, but he also befriended them. Not only did He befriend them, but He also was numbered among them. He identified with the lost so totally that He was condemned to the shameful death of crucifixion. It was by being lifted up on the cross that He conquered sin and death for ever. After the Resurrectionl, Jesus tells His disciples “As the Father has sent Me, so I also send you.” Jesus commissioned His followers to share with all the members of the human race the good news that all can be enjoy the newness of life that the resurrection brings.

Modern society has lost its moral compass. For this reason, people are confused about life and values. Because our value system is disordered, we have become blind and deaf to the needs of the poor and marginalized. People have become like the people of Nineveh, not knowing their left hand from their right (CF. Jon 4:11). Whether we like it or not, this is the world into which the Risen Lord has sent us. He has sent us into this confused and conflicted world, not to condemn it but to bring it peace, pardon, righteousness and reconciliation. We are called to be ministers of Light and Life, inviting people to enter into communion with the Bread of Life and the Living Word. This communion in the Body of Christ requires a public demonstration of fidelity to the Risen Lord. As Christ came out of the tomb, believers must come out of hiding. As Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, believers must speak the Gospel of Life in a culture trapped in death. As Jesus showed the apostles His wounds, believers must be willing to endure persecution so as to make manifest Christ's victory over sin and death.

Christ rose from the dead to show the victory of mercy over condemnation. Christ stands in our midst today as a sign of the Father's love. God so loved the world that He allowed His Beloved Son to be rejected as a sinner so that we sinners might come to know election as the children of God. The First Letter of Peter states it well. "Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable joy that has been touched with glory, as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." The boundless mercy that God offers us in Christ is the cause of our joy. In a world that condemns us for being confused and irresponsible, God offers forgiveness and re-creation. God offers us newness of life in Christ. In the resurrection of Christ, God is glorified because the glory of God consists in the renewal of all creation in the Son. God made us “to be His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace,”(Eph. 1:5-6) for as St Irenaeus states; “the glory of God is man fully alive; moreover man’s life is the vision of god: if God’s revelation through creation has already obtained life for all the beings that dwell on earth, how much more will the Word’s manifestation of the Father obtain life for those who see God.”

The glory of God is man fully alive and free from the bondage of sin. By the power of the resurrection, Christ has given each and every one of us grace to repent of our sins and to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (CF. Mat. 5:48). The celebration of Divine Mercy is very closely related to the reception of the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. I found this reflection of Fr. Pat Malone, S.J. of Creighton University rather helpful. “The sacrament of Reconciliation is not to wipe away our faults. It is to make us more loving . . . It is to show we believe that the wrongs we have done can bury us in shame, but we choose another option; they will make us more honest to ourselves and more humble to those around us.” No one need die in their sin. Everyone is given the chance to start afresh in Christ. Forgiveness is given to us freely for the asking. That which we have received as a gift we should give as a gift, also.

Jesus guides Thomas as he puts his finger into the side of the risen Christ.

The author of Genesis tells us that it was on the first day of creation that God called forth light to give meaning and form to the cosmic chaos. Similarly, it was on the first day of the re-creation that Christ shined the light of life on people who dwelt in the land of darkness and gloom. Discouraged and disillusioned by the death of the Master, Thomas chose to separate himself from the community of the apostles. Having been confined to the domain of death, Jesus understood the apostle's darkness and doubt. Jesus was willing to accommodate Himself to Thomas rather than leave him in his doubt and confusion. As a sojourner and companion on the journey, Jesus addressed Thomas by name and spoke to him man-to-man. He who had been ridiculed by sinners spoke honestly and lovingly to this wayward disciple. This humble recognition of his sin allowed Thomas to find himself in the sacred wounds of Christ. Soon we shall enter into a most sacred encounter with the risen Lord. As we gaze upon the body and blood of Christ, it is my prayer that each of us discover our true selves in His sacred wounds.

--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO