Gospel:
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.”
One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
Gospel Trivia:
The feeding of the multitude is one story that appears in all four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). John's message in this story is different from the other evangelists and is reflected in the following:
- only John mentions that the event happens during Passover, alluding to the Exodus event and the feeding of the Israelites with manna from heaven;
- thus, Jesus is being compared to the great prophet, Moses;
- the feeding is reflective of the eucharist, with Jesus taking the loaves, giving thanks, and distributing them to the crowd;
- fragments are gathered afterwards, which fills twelve baskets, (twelve being a perfect number); the Israelites also gathered manna during their journey, but only a day's portion; the twelve basketful gathered in the gospel account is so much more;
- thus, Jesus is compared to Moses, but is a lot greater than Moses;
- the gathering also alludes to the gathering of all of humankind, which is the purpose of the Kingdom of God, as symbolized in the Eucharist.
This story is more than just a miracle to show the power of Jesus, but establishes the role and mission of Jesus -- to feed, sustain and gather all peoples under the kingship of the Father.
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, Hungry No More (Makati: St. Paul's Publications, 1989), pp. 75-79.
Gospel:
The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
Gospel Trivia:
This passage is to be read as the second part of last Sunday's gospel, which is the sending out of the Twelve on a mission “two by two".
We should therefore interpret this passage in relation to the mission of the disciples. “The disciples mission is to preach a change of mind, drive out demons, and cure the sick. It is an extension of Jesus’ own mission, and he gives them the power to accomplish this. The austere conditions (no food, money, luggage) would make it clear any results were not effected by human means.”*
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus commands the Twelve to rest and take a breather. But the rest is more than just physical rest because Jesus also asks them to be “by themselves,” and with Jesus, as well as away from the crowd.
The kind of rest referred to is both physical and spiritual rest, prior to another flurry of activity in managing the huge crowd in the feeding of the five thousand.
The kind of rest that Jesus can provide is like that of the shepherd who cares for the flock.
The “sheep without a shepherd” is used by Moses in Numbers 27:17 when he asks God to give the Israelites a leader. God appoints Joshua. “Jesus” is the Greek variant of the name Joshua in Hebrew. Jesus IS the good shepherd and he has compassion for his sheep. (Note: The original word used for compassion is “esplanchnisthe,” which refers to one’s guts, and is the strongest word to express a deep feeling of sympathy).
It is important to find the rhythm of activity and rest to sustain our growth and progress of Kingdom-building. This rest is both physical and spiritual rest, the latter to be found in prayer and reflection of God’s promptings in our lives. Without it, burnout ensues in our work of Kingdom building.
* Raymond E. Brown. An Introduction to the New Testament, New York: Doubleday, 1997. 135.
Gospel:
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick— no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
Gospel Trivia:
The message of this gospel account is two fold:
- our mission is the continuation of Jesus' mission;
- material and physical needs are subordinate to this mission.
The mission is to spread the Kingdom of God. Click here for more on what is the Kingdom of God.
Note the following "trivia":
- "no money in their belts" - people carried money in either a pouch or money belts, with the former containing larger sums. Money in their belts are usually smaller change.
- when they are welcomed, Jesus advises that they "stay there until you leave" - the disciples are instructed to stay in the first house that welcomes them instead of looking around for better accommodations.
It should also be noted that:
- traveling missionaries were the only means of spreading news and ideas at that time; there were no mass or digital media;
- the mission assigned by Jesus entails both preaching and doing good works;
- the disciple should be prepared to be welcomed and rejected.
We are all missionaries. We carry out Jesus' mission in our home, workplace and community. And we should be prepared when others cooperate with us, or reject our ideas and principles.
Reference:
*Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Manila: St. Paul Publications, 1988), pp. 51-52.
- Raymond E. Brown et al (eds), The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1990), page 608
Gospel:
Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Gospel Trivia:
The usual curious question in this gospel passage is whether Jesus had siblings. Let's answer this question before getting to the main message of this account.
Did Jesus have brothers and sisters? Early and contemporary Catholic scholars explain this verse as follows:
- the Greek word for brother (adelphios) had a broad application beyond blood siblings, and can include a cousin, and even those especially closed to one's family, as in our contemporary use of the word "brother" and "sister" for close church members;
- the "children of Mary" refer to children of Mary of Clopas, Jesus' aunt and his mother's sister, making them cousins;
- two of the brothers mentioned here -- James and Joses -- are again mentioned in Mark 15:40 with specific reference to "Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome". Then, like now, "Mary" was quite a common name.
- these siblings were children of Joseph from a previous marriage; note that Joseph is mentioned only in the birth narrative, suggesting that he was much older and had died.
Now, to the main message of the gospel:
This account follows a series of miracle accounts from the previous Sundays: the cure of Jarius' daughter, the calming of the sea, and cure of the hemorrhaging woman. Followers then flock to him, amazed at his power and persuasiveness.
And now, this:
- Jesus is rejected and insulted in his native place. Being referred to as the "son of Mary" instead of the customary "son of Joseph" is considered a low blow;
- the verse "Jesus was not able to perform any mighty deed" does not suggest a limitation in his power or that there is a prerequisite link between faith and miracle (as in faith healing); but instead to the meaninglessness of performing a miracle amidst a crowd of skeptical, non-believers.
This passage is the antithesis of the previous accounts: without faith, there are no miracles. Its purpose is likely to address and encourage the early evangelizers who expectedly met more than a few of the unavoidable failures and rejections as they spread the Christian faith.
When we are ridiculed by what we believe (whether our faith or our principles of justice and fair play), we hang on our faith that Jesus' intent shall prevail.
References:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Manila: St. Paul Publications, 1988), p. 49.
- Raymond E. Brown et al (eds), The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1990), page 608.
- http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201312/did-jesus-have-brothers-and-sisters-28224#sthash.8s3QvSem.dpuf
- http://www.catholic.com/blog/matt-fradd/jesus-had-brothers
Gospel:
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.” He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.
While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.
Gospel Trivia:
Faith is the center of this episode.
The synagogue official is a member of the board of elders responsible for the management of the synagogue. He is an important and learned man, and a religious one; yet, at this point, he has no recourse but to turn to Jesus.
The official's faith is further tested by the people around him who have given up hope because the daughter is dead -- "your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" Further, when Jesus says that the daughter is only sleeping, the people around "ridiculed him."
Then, Jesus performs the miracle. Death is not the end, but is only "asleep." The faith of the official sees through death.
We can probably identify with Jairus, a person with means, and yet his means cannot rescue him. When we are desperate, when it is most difficult to keep the faith, the gospel tells us that this is precisely the time to believe in Jesus.
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Makati: St. Paul's Publications), p. 46.
Gospel:
On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”
Gospel Trivia:
We should note the following in interpreting Mark's message of this gospel passage:
- The gospels were written several decades after the death and resurrection of Jesus; in the case of the gospel of Mark, the earliest gospel to be written, biblical scholars estimate it was written between 60 to 70 AD. By this time, Christianity was beginning to spread and the early church was also beginning to face much challenge and persecutions.
- The sea was perceived as a place of danger and mystery. It is also not unusual that a squall (a sudden windy storm) to occur in Lake Galilee (the scene in the gospel), as the cold winds from the Mediterranean meet the winds from the Syrian desert.
Thus, Mark's intention in this gospel passage is to reassure the early Christians that Jesus, though no longer with them physically, continues to care for them; and that they should hang on to their faith.
Note that the phrase, "Do you not have faith?" is said AFTER Jesus calmed the storm; whereas, it is more logical to mention their lack of faith first, and then perform the miracle (as is done in Matthew's version of this same episode).
By mentioning if after the miracle, Mark's is able to more strongly emphasize the disciples lack of faith. The disciples panic, Jesus calms the storm, and then says, "there, couldn't you have trusted that I would protect you."
When we face the storms in our life, do we panic? Or keep the faith?
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Makati: St. Paul's Publications), pp. 42-44.
Gospel:
Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.”
He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
Gospel Trivia:
The gospel consists of two parables that teaches about the Kingdom of God. (However, it can be said that all parables tell us an aspect of the Kingdom).
These two parables follow the parable of the sower, thus the pattern of sowing, the waiting time, and the harvest. The parables were likely meant for disciples and Christian converts who were waiting for something magnificent to happen as a manifestation of the coming of the Kingdom of God; but were disappointed or discouraged.
The two parables were intended:
- in the case of the first parable, to reassure and require patience, because the growth of the Kingdom has started and will not be subverted, imperceptible though it may be amidst seemingly contradictory conditions;
- in the case of the second parable, to remind early Christians that the Kingdom is manifested not in the glorious, but in small beginnings which, over time, makes itself felt.
But what is the Kingdom of God? And where is it? How can we perceive that its reign has started? Click here.
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, Parables for Today (Makati: St. Paul's Publications, 1987), pp. 2 - 8.
What happens during consecration?
Our Lord Jesus Christ is really present in the Eucharistic celebration in many ways: in the assembly, in the person of the priest celebrant, in the reading of the Word, and most especially under the Eucharistic species of bread and wine.
But what does it mean when we say that the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ? We know that the bread and wine still looks, tastes, and smells like bread and wine. Do the bread and wine merely symbolize the body and blood of Christ (as non Catholic Christians believe), and that we should imagine that these are now Christ’s body and blood? The answer is no; the bread and wine do become the body and blood of Christ. If so, then does it mean that we are like cannibals that eat flesh and blood?
I hope this article will help you understand what happens during consecration, and be able to explain it to others.
The different ways that things change
First, let’s open our minds to the different ways that things change. We know that water can change from solid (ice) to liquid to gas. But it is still H2O. In other words, the outside form changes, but the invisible components of hydrogen and oxygen remain the same.
Another kind of change is when the outside form remains the same, but the inside (or invisible) changes. In philosophical terms, this is referred to as trans-substantiation, which is the term that our Church uses to explain the change that happens in consecration. In philosophical terms, the outside form is referred to as the “accidents” and the internal elements as “essence” or “substance.” In this way of explaining, the accidents (externals) of bread and wine do not change but the essence of its reality is no longer just bread and wine, but the body and blood of Christ.
What do we mean by the “body and blood of Christ”?
The “body and blood” of Christ is our way of saying the total person of Christ. Thus, we do not refer to the bread being “just the body” and the wine as “just the blood” of Christ. Both species, that is the bread and wine, contain the whole personal presence of our Lord.
However, the “body and blood” of Christ present in the bread and wine is NOT the physical body of Christ, but his glorified and Resurrected body. This points us to yet another kind of change.
The third kind is that of total transformation, where everything (both the inside and outside) changes. This is how we look at what happened to Jesus in his Resurrection.
What happened in the Resurrection?
An understanding of the Resurrection will help us understand what happens during consecration.
We regard the Resurrection of Jesus as not just resuscitation (as in the case of Lazarus, who eventually died), but that of transformation (Jesus lives forever). Resurrection refers not just to a physically risen Jesus, but to a spiritually Risen Jesus.
Our Risen Lord was no longer bound by time and space. He could walk through walls. In the account of the “doubting Thomas” in John 20:19-29, the evangelist emphasizes by saying twice that “the doors were locked,” and yet Jesus suddenly appeared to them.
In the story of the two men on the way to Emmaus in Luke 24:1-53, we learn other aspects about our Risen Lord. We know that the tomb was empty and so his body rose and changed (24:12). His body changed because when Jesus appeared to the two men on the road to Emmaus, he was not readily recognizable (24:32), and yet he could be seen and touched, and he ate bread and fish. We also know that he was recognized when he started to talk about the Scriptures and when they broke bread (24:35), and that this encounter with him brought about much excitement and joy (24:33 and 41).
I’m afraid that is as much as we can know about Jesus Resurrected presence. (The disciples did not have a video camera then, so they could not be any more helpful). But one thing we do know, Jesus was not just resuscitated; he was transformed to a glorious presence.
The close analogy I can think of is that of a caterpillar that is transformed to a butterfly. It changes to something totally new.
The Resurrection and Consecration
During the consecration, we believe that the bread and wine changes into the “body and blood” of Christ, but NOT his physical body/blood but to his glorified, resurrected, and spiritually risen body/blood. (Again, think of body/blood as “total person”)
This is the same glorified, resurrected, and spiritually risen Jesus that is present “whenever we pray and there are two or three gathered in his name.” But we regard his presence in a very special way in the blessed Sacrament.
The different ways one or something can be present
Finally, I’d like you to be aware of how one or something can be present. There is the physical kind of presence, just as a computer is proximately near me as I type this article. Someone can also be next to me and be just physically present but his or her mind is somewhere else.
There is also the personal kind of presence where a person is present to another through sharing of knowledge, affection and love. It is this kind of presence that we refer to when we say that Jesus is present in the bread and wine.
The Church wants us to avoid two extremes in explaining the presence of Jesus in the eucharist:
- a crude, materialistic understanding of the change of bread and wine into Christ’s earthly “flesh and blood” which would make communicants equivalent to cannibals, and
- the opposite extreme of a merely symbolic interpretation of the change, which would reject the real eating and drinking of the Lord.
Implications in our daily life
We believe that Jesus (in his glorified, Resurrected and spiritual presence) is everywhere. Jesus is present when “two or three are gathered in his name,” when we perform works of mercy, when we preach the Word of God, and most effectively, when we celebrate the Eucharist.
We become intimately united with him when we receive him in communion. Christ is in us. We know we will share in this glorified, Resurrected and spiritual presence one day.
But we need not wait until that day. We live the way we live because Jesus himself is already in us.
In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” (John 14:19-21)
Sources:
- Catechism for Filipino Catholics (CFC)
- Catechism of the Catholic Church
- Patambang, Myra A., Salibay, Esteban T., Jr., and Valera, Felinore Angelica H. Sacraments, Marriage And Family Life. Manila: Navotas Press, 2001
This aims to explain this "central mystery of the Christian faith," a mystery not too many Catholics understand, much less able to explain to others.
But before you start reading, I suggest you get a cup of coffee and a comfortable chair because this is not an easy read, but may be worthwhile in trying to understand what "three persons in one God" means.
Can you explain the Holy Trinity to others?
The mystery of the Holy Trinity “is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the hierarchy of the truths of faith” (CCC 234). How would you explain this mystery to a Muslim, for example?
When asked by our fellow Christians, our response is usually “it means there are three persons in one God.” When probed what exactly that means, we are likely to say “I can’t really explain that, that’s why it’s a mystery.”
Let's start with this thought:
There are religions who recognize their God as creator of all things and source of all life. But these religions depict their God as “one-person.” Unlike this “one person” concept of God, the God revealed to us (by God himself) is a God who is Trinitarian, i.e. “three persons in one God.”
Our God is a communicating God. God wants to make Himself known to us. God does not want to be mysterious and unknown. On the contrary, God knows that when we truly know him, we will fall in love with him. Thus, the whole Bible is about how God continually communicates himself to us.
So how does God reveal himself?
Answer: God first revealed himself as Yahweh.
Very early in the bible, there was a point when God communicated to men and women the name by which he wanted to be known: "Yahweh." It means “I am who am.” In Tagalog, it could translate to “A, basta. Ako si ako.” It means that God is simply being, being in its fullness, or unlimited being.
Biblical scholars who study the nuances of language believe that the more accurate translation of Yahweh is “I am who will show myself to be by the actions, which I will do on your behalf.” This translation suggests two things:
- God wants to be known progressively, not in a one time kind revelation. This means that the God of the Old Testament must be known also through what is revealed by God in the New Testament.
- Secondly, the translation suggests that God will be known by the actions that he will do for his people.
What then do we know about who God is and the nature of God based on the actions that God has done?
Answer:
- God liberated the Jews from slavery. The Jews could not help but marvel at what Yahweh has done. Imagine, they were previously a bunch of slaves oppressed by the Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they became a people with their own king and land!
- However, the Israelites frequently disobeyed and turned away from Yahweh many times in their history as a nation. They would worship other gods, commit acts of injustice to their own people especially the poor, widow and orphans, and disobey the laws given to Moses. But despite all these, Yahweh never gave up on them.
Through these actions, Yahweh became known not just as a powerful God, but a God “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” His justice is tempered with mercy. It is not a vindictive kind of justice, but a saving kind of justice.
The people would backslide, yet Yahweh never gives up on the sinner. “For a brief moment I have abandoned you, but with great tenderness I will gather my people. For a moment, in an outburst of anger, I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I have had mercy on you, says Yahweh, our Redeemer.” (Isaiah 54:7-8)
The disobedience continued; but Yahweh’s persistent love also prevailed.
Then, one day Yahweh did the most unexpected and undreamed of action of all time. Yahweh no longer spoke through signs, but through a Son, Jesus of Nazareth.
“God has spoken in the past to our ancestors through the prophets, in many different ways, although never completely; but in our times he has spoken definitively to us through his Son.” (Hebrews 1:1-2)
What did the words and actions of Jesus reveal about who God is?
Answer:
In his ministry, Jesus speaks of Yahweh in a very unusual way. He calls Yahweh: “Father.” This is a radical idea since this invokes an intimate relationship with God, something akin to the relationship of father and child, and not king and subjects as the Jews were used to. In fact, Jesus says that we should use the word “abba,” which is the way a little child endearingly calls his/her father. Throughout his life, Jesus speaks and acts in a way which suggests a personal and intimate relationship with God as Father.
Jesus also reveals the Spirit of God which came down upon him during baptism. He promises the Spirit to his disciples at the Last Supper, saying that the Father will send him, and that he (Jesus) himself will send him (John 14:16-17, 25; 15:26; 16:7-14). But the Spirit is given only after Jesus has been glorified (John 7:39). Then Jesus gives the Spirit on the day of the Resurrection to the disciples, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). And in Pentecost, there is the outpouring of the Spirit to Mary and the disciples gathered in the upper room.
Through the words and actions of Jesus, the name of God has changed. It is no longer “Yahweh,” (the God who will reveal who he is through the actions he will do for his people).
After God becomes man in the person of Jesus, and the sending of the Holy Spirit in Pentecost, God’s name is now: “Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
So what is the Holy Trinity?
Answer:
Through his actions and words, we now know that God has a Son, who was with him in the beginning, and who was God like him. It is this Son who became flesh and lived among us. God does not only have a Son, but also a Spirit. This Spirit is the one who pours out the love of God into our hearts (Romans 5:5).
Can you tell us more about the Holy Spirit? I don’t have a mental picture of the Holy Spirit, unlike the Father and the Son.
Answer:
This Spirit is not the Father nor the Son but is sent by them both not as another spirit like an angel, but as their common Spirit, and thus God like them.
The Spirit is first of all, a spirit and is a person. He does not have a material body, and yet he is someone. He is someone who performs spiritual functions, acts of the intellect, for example. Christ said that the Spirit would lead the disciples to all the truth (John 16:12), that the Spirit would also bear witness regarding him (John 15:26), and would speak for the disciples when they faced the tribunals (Matthew 10:19-20).
The Holy Spirit is Love in Person. It is because he is Love in person that the Holy Spirit can pour forth into our hearts the love of God when he is given as gift to us. (Romans 5:5)
(My own mental picture of the Holy Spirit is a “spiritual presence” who is with me wherever I go).
So God changed his name from Yahweh to the Holy Trinity?
Answer:
Yes, the name of God is now Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is in that name we are baptized. We enter into the life of one God-Community of Persons.
In other words, the one God really exists as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. From all eternity God is a Trinity of Persons, but this truth was revealed only through the sending of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit. So in God, there is one What and three Who’s.
What is the implication of the Holy Trinity in my life?
Answer:
The fact that now we are told by God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, that God is a communion of Persons bonded together by love, means that we human begins are called to live in a communion of love with each other.
Reference:
The two main sources used in this article are the Catechism of the Catholic Church (or CCC) and the book of Bishop Teodoro Bacani entitled From Yahweh to the Trinity (Manila: Gift of God Publications, undated). In many parts of my article, I quoted complete sentences verbatim from Bishop Ted’s book without citing them in footnotes. I am hoping that this citation will suffice in acknowledging his ideas).
Gospel:
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.” As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Gospel Trivia:
This gospel account for Pentecost Sunday does not jive with what we recall as the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. It was supposed to have happened fifty days after the Resurrection when the disciples were gathered in the upper room.
In today's Gospel, Jesus breathes on the disciples and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit" and, according to John the evangelist, this took place on the night of Easter Sunday.
Is there a conflict in the recording of the events? Or are these two events: one is the sending of the Holy Spirit right after the Resurrection (according to John's gospel), and another time when the disciples were in the upper room (according to the Acts of the Apostles, written by Luke)?
Biblical scholars interpret these as the same event, but reflect two different theological perspectives of the two authors.
What, then, is John's intended message in his gospel account of the sending of the Holy Spirit? There are three:
- The coming of the Holy Spirit marks a new creation. Jesus BREATHES on the disciples as he says, "Receive the Holy Spirit." The word used for "breathes" is reminiscent of the creation of humankind in Genesis: "The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground and BLEW into his nostrils the BREATH of life, and so man became a living being." (Genesis 2:7). Soon, Jesus will disappear physically; but his presence remains with the disciples through the Spirit that will guide them in their mission of proclaiming a new way of life and relationship with God.
- The Holy Spirit brings peace. "Peace be with you" is the traditional Jewish greeting. In this account, Jesus says this greeting twice; thus, the close association between the Spirit and the peace that it brings.
- The sending of the Holy Spirit coincides with the sending of the disciples. "As the Father has sent me, so I send you," Jesus says. The disciples' mission is a continuation of Jesus' mission and, and they will be accompanied by Jesus' continuing presence in the Spirit. It will bring them sustenance and peace despite the travails and trials they will face.
We may have been baptized in the Holy Spirit -- whether in baptism and/or again in a Life in the Spirit Seminar -- but receiving the Spirit means you have a mission. What is your mission?
Reference:
*Nil Guillemette, SJ, Hungry No More (Manila: St. Paul's Publications, 1989), pp. 255-259.
Gospel:
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
Gospel Trivia:
Biblical scholars generally agree that this ending in the gospel of Mark was added much later after the earlier and original ending of Mark's gospel on verse 16:8 - "Then they went out and fled from the tomb, seized with trembling and bewilderment. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid."
Such a disappointing ending, isn't it?
The purpose of the the "added ending" is to capture the transformation of the converted Christians after Jesus ascended to heaven (or, when Jesus was no longer physically with them). They were transformed from a group of people trembling and hiding, to a band of disciples who "proclaimed the gospel to every creature" and performed miracles.
How do we evaluate our Christian life? Are we afraid and in hiding when asked to make an unpopular, but Christian, choice? Or do we go forth and confirm our faith in our action and options?
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Makati: St. Paul's Publications), pp. 109-110.
Gospel:
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.”
Gospel Trivia:
This gospel passage contains some of the most beautiful and perhaps sweetest verses that Jesus said. However, these verses are more than beautiful and sweet words, but also reflects what a personal relationship with Jesus entails:
- John 15:10 – “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.” Love of God is not just a “feel good” thing. It requires action, keeping his commandments.
- John 15: 12 – “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
This is the second time that Jesus says this, but with a slight twist. The first time was during the last supper but at that time he referred to this as a “NEW” commandment. This time, Jesus refers to it as “MY” commandment. It is a personal commandment of Jesus himself. We must love one another “AS I LOVED YOU.” Jesus’ love is the new standard, which means a personal relationship based on sacrificial love and forgiveness; and NOT the legalistic approach of the Pharisees who equate righteousness before God in terms simply of obeying the laws of Moses
- John 15:13 – “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Jesus’ standards includes sacrificing one’s life for others, perhaps not in terms of actual physical death, but love based on “dying” to one’s self.
- John 15:15 – “I no longer call you slaves. I have called you friends.”
Jesus love is also not just a decision or commitment, but has the character of intimacy, reciprocity, and heart to heart, which are elements of true friendship.
- John 15:11 – “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you.”
Joy was considered in the Old Testament as the characteristic of the time of salvation and everlasting peace. It is the ultimate reward of a relationship based on love and friendship.
Loving God is serious business. It entails a certain kind of “dying” to one’s self such as loving the unlovable, taking the initiative to repair a relationship even though it is not your fault, choosing the difficult right instead of the easy wrong.
Doesn’t a part of ourselves “die” when we humble ourselves and do these things?
God loves us seriously. How serious do you love God? What expressions of God’s love can you do that entails a “dying” to one’s self?
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, Hungry No More (Makati: St. Paul's Publications, 1989), 210-212
Gospel:
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
Gospel Trivia:
The vine is often used in Scripture to refer to the people of Israel, initially referred to as God's chosen people but have been unfaithful to Yahweh as described in the Old Testament:
Jeremiah 2:21: I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine?
As well as by Jesus himself in the New Testament through the parable of the idle workers who had to be invited by Jesus to work in the vineyard. (Matthew 20:1-8)
Jesus now declares himself as the true vine, i.e. no longer the false vine which was Israel. The branches are those who follow him.
Those who bear fruit are those who live out Jesus' life and teachings. Pruning is the inevitable trials that a disciple goes through, but which further strengthens and increases the fruits of their discipleship. One's fruitfulness depends on the closeness of the relationship between the branch and Jesus, the true vine.
How will you measure the fruitfulness of your discipleship? How strong is your relationship with the true vine?
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, Hungry No More (Makati: St. Paul's Publications, 1989), 204-206.
Gospel:
Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
Gospel Trivia:
"I am the good shepherd." Much can be said about the meaning of these five words uttered by Jesus.
From the Old Testament, God has constantly revealed himself as the shepherd of his people:
- Psalm 23 acknowledges God as the shepherd: "The Lord is my shepherd."
- Moses became a shepherd in Midian during his self-exile from Egypt. This was his preparation for the great task of leading his flock from slavery, through the great pastoral saga of the Israelites through the desert, and reaching the promised land where the sheep can be fed and nurtured.
- the unworthy kings of Israel were referred to by the prophets as the bad shepherds, in contrast to David who "shall feed the sheep and be their shepherds" (Ezekiel 34:23).
In the New Testament, Jesus declares himself as the good shepherd:
- the word "good" in the "good shepherd" comes from the Greek word "kalos" which refers to a person who performs his job well, as in the "good doctor."
- "I am" is a self proclamation of Jesus and his declaration that he assumes the entire responsibility for the flock of God. It is a divine promise: yesterday, today and tomorrow, Jesus will be at our side as the good shepherd.
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, Hungry No More (Makati: St. Paul's Publications, 1989), 138-142.
Gospel:
The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of bread.
While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them.
He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”
Gospel Trivia:
The significance of this gospel passage is reflected in the following notes:
- The encounter is between Jesus and ordinary disciples, and not with the Eleven apostles. From the story, it appears that these disciples have given up on Jesus -- they thought he was the Messiah, but since nothing happened after his crucifixion, it now seems they should continue waiting for someone else. They were now walking AWAY, but note that after the encounter with Jesus, they travelled BACK to Jerusalem.
- The crucifixion is such a despicable way to die. Imagine your hoped-to-be leader and messiah being sent to die in the electric chair; death by crucifixion is a lot more ignoble than that. Jesus relates the crucifixion with the Old Testament themes of the Suffering Servant and the rejected prophet. Suddenly, it makes sense to them: that the messiah is not one that will liberate them militarily but a more profound redeemer of humanity.
- The storyline follows the eucharistic liturgy: Jesus explains the crucifixion in the context of Scriptures (Liturgy of the Word), and then breaks bread with them (Liturgy of the Eucharist).
- Finally, note that after the disciples finally realized who the stranger is, Jesus vanishes from them.
The gospel passage reassures the early Christian communities (and we today) that Jesus will continue to be present, but no longer in a physical way. One encounters him, in faith, most especially in the Eucharist: in the scriptures and in the breaking of the bread.
Other Trivia:
- The Emmaus story is found only in the gospel of Luke, and is consistent with themes that are important for this evangelist such as sharing a meal and extending hospitality to strangers.
- Where exactly is Emmaus? See area in map marked RED.
Sources:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Makati: St. Paul's Publications), pp. 394-395
- Raymond E. Brown et al (eds), The New Jerome Biblical
Commentary (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1990), 721.
