The Old Testament prophet speaks about the restoration of Zion and Jerusalem (see Isaiah 62:1-5). His words are quite eloquent and filled with hope. Remember that the people of God had been dispossessed and their nation and its temple destroyed. Such a testimony would seem like foolishness to many. It is no wonder that at the end of their exile, if not of their subjugation, they rebuilt the temple and expected the eminent coming of the Messiah. However, a few years after the crucifixion of Christ, Jews and Christians alike found themselves persecuted with vigor by Rome and the temple was destroyed. Along with it the Jewish priesthood and their ritual sacrifices came to an end. Non-Catholic Protestant fundamentalists and certain Jewish authorities view the political restoration of Israel today as the beginning of a more complete fulfillment of the ancient prophecy. Indeed, the Scriptures were publicly cited when the United Nations recognized the re-establishment of Israel. “You are to be a crown of splendor in the hand of the Lord, a princely diadem in the hand of your God; no longer are you to be named ‘Forsaken,’ nor your land ‘Abandoned,’ but you shall be called ‘My Delight’ and your land ‘The Wedded,’ for the Lord takes delight in you and your land will have its wedding” (Isaiah 62:3-6).
As Catholic Christians we do not associate the state of Israel with the promised restoration of God’s nation. Instead, the New Zion or Jerusalem is the Church. Corinthians 12:4-11 recognizes that there are differing roles in the Church and varying gifts of the Spirit. The old sacrifices of the temple are replaced by the one oblation of Jesus who is both priest and victim. We renew and make present his saving covenant by celebrating the Lord’s Supper— in other words, the Mass— in our churches.
Every Christian priest participates in the one priesthood of Jesus. Every Mass is a re-presentation (in an unbloody but real and spiritual way) of the sacrifice of Calvary. Just as Hosea and others in the Old Testament used the marriage analogy between God and his people, Christ is the bridegroom and the Church is his bride. The Mass is a participation in the heavenly wedding banquet that finds mention in Isaiah. St. Paul will speak eloquently about how a husband should love his wife as Christ has loved his Church. The Jews were right in their hope two thousand years ago for a Messiah; the tragedy is that only a few recognized him when he came. When he comes again, he will not forget his own— either in the Church or among the first people chosen by God.
John 2:1-11 carries forward the general theme of marriage with the wedding feast at Cana. Note the intercessory role of Mary, even after Christ’s objection, “Woman why turn to me?” There is no argument. Joseph is gone and Jesus is the head of her household. She brings concerns to him and he takes care of them. He provides. Her answer is a command to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Jesus had said that “My hour has not yet come,” and yet, the power of her faith moves him to freely comply. Jesus would later tell his listeners that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed, they could move mountains. There is no competition or tension between Jesus and Mary. This marriage feast was obviously for dear friends, maybe even relatives, and nothing should spoil its joy. Jesus turns water into wine. This is the first of his signs. At his own wedding banquet, he will turn wine and bread into his body and blood.
For more such reflections, contact me about getting my book, CHRISTIAN REFLECTIONS.
Filed under: Catholic, Church, Discipleship, Eucharist, Forgiveness, God, Holy Spirit, Incarnation, Jesus, Liturgy, Mass, Reflection, Sacraments | Leave a comment »
Peter stands before us in Acts 4:8-12 much transformed from the miserable figure we knew who denied our Lord three times. We are told that he is filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaims the Gospel without qualification or self-aggrandizing. A cripple is healed as a sign that his words ring with the truth. It is all realized in the name of Jesus Christ. He explains that Jesus, the stone rejected, has become the cornerstone: “There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other name in the whole world given to men by which we are to be saved” (verse 12).
Acts 2:1-11 gives us the scene of that first Pentecost. There are some interesting elements. First, the day “found the brethren gathered in one place.” There is an unexpectancy to the movement of the Spirit who FINDS them and acts SUDDENLY. On what would be the birthday of the Church, the Spirit finds the brethren watchful and awake. The believers are gathered, no doubt for fellowship and prayer. Since Christ had already instituted the priesthood and Eucharist, they might have been celebrating the “breaking of the bread.” Second, we read that “Suddenly from up in the sky there came a noise like a strong driving wind . . . .” All hear it in the house. Behind the symbolism of the wind, the Holy Spirit literally breaks from the celestial house of heaven and reverberates in the house of the Church. Third, the Holy Spirit is imaged as “tongues of fire” over the assembled. Fire gives off light. The Holy Spirit would illumine their minds and make them sharers in the Light of the World, Jesus Christ. Fire warms the flesh, and again like Jesus, the Church would bring the healing and forgiveness of the Lord to a cold world. Fire also burns and so does the Holy Spirit in that it destroys the old way of sin and builds new with the firm foundation of Christ Jesus. Fourth, the assembled speak in many tongues, a recognition that the Gospel proclamation is meant for all peoples and nations.
It is sometimes complained that Christians of the West seem apt to neglect the role of the Holy Spirit in their prayer, worship, and reflection. The Catholic emphasis often centers upon Jesus, his mother Mary, and the saints. However, the Holy Spirit is not utterly forgotten and is implicitly invoked every time we make the sign of the cross. The early Church discerned the power of the Holy Spirit in their midst as a personal encounter with God.
Blogger Priest 