We have to learn from him, from Jesus who is our only model. If you want to go forward without stumbling or wandering off the path, then all you have to do is walk the road he walked, placing your feet in his footprints and entering into his humble and patient Heart, there to drink from the wellsprings of his commandments and of his love. In a word, you must identify yourself with Jesus Christ and try to become really and truly another Christ among your fellow men (Friends of God, 128).
If you wish to get close to Our Lord through the pages of the Gospels, I always recommend that you try to enter in on the scene taking part as just one more person there. In this way (and I know many perfectly ordinary people who live this way) you will be captivated like Mary was, who hung on every word that Jesus uttered or, like Martha, you will boldly make your worries known to him, opening your heart sincerely about them all no matter how little they may be (Friends of God 222).
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Showing posts with label c. Evangeeliumi sees.... Show all posts
Showing posts with label c. Evangeeliumi sees.... Show all posts
THE ANNUNCIATION
Aga kuuendal kuul läkitas Jumal ingel Gabrieli Galilea külla, mille nimi on Naatsaret, neitsi juurde, kes oli kihlatud Taaveti soost Joosepi-nimelise mehega. Selle neitsi nimi oli Maarja. Lk 1:26-27
Don't forget, my friend, that we are children. The Lady of the sweet name, Mary, is withdrawn in prayer.
You, in that house, are whatever you want to be: a friend, a servant, an onlooker, a neighbour... —I, at this moment, don't dare to be anything. I hide behind you; full of awe, I contemplate the scene:
The Archangel delivers his message... Quomodo fiet istud, quoniam virum non cognosco? —How shall this be done since I know not man? (Luke 1:34).
Our Mother's voice brings to my memory —by contrast— all the impurities of men.... mine too. And then how I hate the low, mean things of the earth...What resolutions! (Holy Rosary, first joyful mystery).
Our mother is a model of correspondence to grace. If we contemplate her life, our Lord will give us the light we need to divinize our everyday existence. Throughout the year when we celebrate feasts dedicated to Mary and frequently on other days, we Christians can think of the Virgin. If we take advantage of these moments, trying to imagine how she would conduct herself in our circumstances, we will make steady progress. And in the end we will resemble her, as children come to look like their mother.
First, let us imitate her love. Charity cannot be content with just nice feelings; it must find its way into our conversations and, above all, into our deeds. The Virgin did not merely pronounce her fiat; in every moment she fulfilled that firm and irrevocable decision. So should we. When God's love gets through to us and we come to know what he desires, we ought to commit ourselves to be faithful, loyal — and then be so in fact. Because "not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.
"We must imitate her natural and supernatural refinement She is a privileged creature in the history of salvation, for in Mary "the Word became flesh and dwelled among us." But she is a reserved, quiet witness. She never wished to be praised, for she never sought her own glory. Mary is present at the mysteries surrounding the infancy of her Son, but these are "normal" mysteries, so to speak. When the great miracles take place and the crowds acclaim them in amazement, she is nowhere to be found. In Jerusalem when Christ, riding a little donkey, is proclaimed king, we don't catch a glimpse of Mary. But after all have fled, she reappears next to the cross. This way of acting bespeaks personal greatness and depth, the sanctity of her soul.
Following her example of obedience to God, we can learn to serve delicately without being slavish. In Mary we don't find the slightest trace of the attitude of the foolish virgins, who obey, but thoughtlessly. Our Lady listens attentively to what God wants, ponders what she doesn't fully understand and asks about what she doesn't know. Then she gives herself completely to doing the divine will: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word." Isn't that marvellous? The blessed Virgin, our teacher in all we do, shows us here that obedience to God is not servile, does not bypass our conscience. We should be inwardly moved to discover the "freedom of the children of God" (Christ is passing by 173).
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Don't forget, my friend, that we are children. The Lady of the sweet name, Mary, is withdrawn in prayer.
You, in that house, are whatever you want to be: a friend, a servant, an onlooker, a neighbour... —I, at this moment, don't dare to be anything. I hide behind you; full of awe, I contemplate the scene:
The Archangel delivers his message... Quomodo fiet istud, quoniam virum non cognosco? —How shall this be done since I know not man? (Luke 1:34).
Our Mother's voice brings to my memory —by contrast— all the impurities of men.... mine too. And then how I hate the low, mean things of the earth...What resolutions! (Holy Rosary, first joyful mystery).
Our mother is a model of correspondence to grace. If we contemplate her life, our Lord will give us the light we need to divinize our everyday existence. Throughout the year when we celebrate feasts dedicated to Mary and frequently on other days, we Christians can think of the Virgin. If we take advantage of these moments, trying to imagine how she would conduct herself in our circumstances, we will make steady progress. And in the end we will resemble her, as children come to look like their mother.
First, let us imitate her love. Charity cannot be content with just nice feelings; it must find its way into our conversations and, above all, into our deeds. The Virgin did not merely pronounce her fiat; in every moment she fulfilled that firm and irrevocable decision. So should we. When God's love gets through to us and we come to know what he desires, we ought to commit ourselves to be faithful, loyal — and then be so in fact. Because "not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.
"We must imitate her natural and supernatural refinement She is a privileged creature in the history of salvation, for in Mary "the Word became flesh and dwelled among us." But she is a reserved, quiet witness. She never wished to be praised, for she never sought her own glory. Mary is present at the mysteries surrounding the infancy of her Son, but these are "normal" mysteries, so to speak. When the great miracles take place and the crowds acclaim them in amazement, she is nowhere to be found. In Jerusalem when Christ, riding a little donkey, is proclaimed king, we don't catch a glimpse of Mary. But after all have fled, she reappears next to the cross. This way of acting bespeaks personal greatness and depth, the sanctity of her soul.
Following her example of obedience to God, we can learn to serve delicately without being slavish. In Mary we don't find the slightest trace of the attitude of the foolish virgins, who obey, but thoughtlessly. Our Lady listens attentively to what God wants, ponders what she doesn't fully understand and asks about what she doesn't know. Then she gives herself completely to doing the divine will: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word." Isn't that marvellous? The blessed Virgin, our teacher in all we do, shows us here that obedience to God is not servile, does not bypass our conscience. We should be inwardly moved to discover the "freedom of the children of God" (Christ is passing by 173).
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THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD
Aga nende sealoleku aegu said päevad täis ja Maarja pidi sünnitama. Ta tõi ilmale oma esimese poja ning mähkis ta mähkmetesse ja asetas sõime, sest nende jaoks polnud majas kohta. Lk 2: 6-7
A decree of Caesar Augustus has been proclaimed, ordering the whole world to be enrolled. For this purpose, every person must go to the city of his ancestors. —Since Joseph is of the house and family of David, he goes with the Virgin Mary from Nazareth to the city called Bethlehem, in Judea (Luke 2:1-5).
And in Bethlehem is born our God: Jesus Christ! —There is no room at the inn: He is born in a stable. —And His Mother wraps Him in swaddling clothes and lays Him in a manger. Cold. —Poverty... —I am Joseph's little servant. —How good Joseph is! —He treats me like a father. —He even forgives me if I take the Child in my arms and spend hour after hour saying sweet and loving things to Him!...
And I kiss Him —you kiss Him too! —and I rock Him in my arms, and I sing to Him, and I call Him King, Love, my God, my Only-one, my All!... (Holy Rosary, 3).
Iesus Christus, Deus homo: Jesus Christ, God-man. This is one of "the mighty works of God," which we should reflect upon and thank him for. He has come to bring "peace on earth to men of good Will," to all men who want to unite their wills to the holy will of God — not just the rich, not just the poor, but everyone: all the brethren. We are all brothers in Jesus, children of God, brothers of Christ. His Mother is our mother.There is only one race in the world: the race of the children of God. We should all speak the same language, taught us by our Father in heaven — the language Jesus spoke with his Father. It is the language of heart and mind, which you are using now, in your prayer — the language of contemplation, used by men who are spiritual, because they realize they are children of God. This language is expressed in a thousand motions of our will, in the clear insights of our minds, in the affections of our heart, in our commitment to lead a virtuous life, in goodness, happiness and peace.
You must look at the Child in the manger. He is our Love. Look at him, realizing that the whole thing is a mystery. We need to accept this mystery on faith and use our faith to explore it very deeply. To do this, we must have the humble attitude of a christian soul. Let us not try to reduce the greatness of God to our own poor ideas and human explanations. Let us try to understand that this mystery, for all its darkness, is a light to guide men's lives (Christ is passing by, 13)
And here is the rest of it. Read more...
A decree of Caesar Augustus has been proclaimed, ordering the whole world to be enrolled. For this purpose, every person must go to the city of his ancestors. —Since Joseph is of the house and family of David, he goes with the Virgin Mary from Nazareth to the city called Bethlehem, in Judea (Luke 2:1-5).
And in Bethlehem is born our God: Jesus Christ! —There is no room at the inn: He is born in a stable. —And His Mother wraps Him in swaddling clothes and lays Him in a manger. Cold. —Poverty... —I am Joseph's little servant. —How good Joseph is! —He treats me like a father. —He even forgives me if I take the Child in my arms and spend hour after hour saying sweet and loving things to Him!...
And I kiss Him —you kiss Him too! —and I rock Him in my arms, and I sing to Him, and I call Him King, Love, my God, my Only-one, my All!... (Holy Rosary, 3).
Iesus Christus, Deus homo: Jesus Christ, God-man. This is one of "the mighty works of God," which we should reflect upon and thank him for. He has come to bring "peace on earth to men of good Will," to all men who want to unite their wills to the holy will of God — not just the rich, not just the poor, but everyone: all the brethren. We are all brothers in Jesus, children of God, brothers of Christ. His Mother is our mother.There is only one race in the world: the race of the children of God. We should all speak the same language, taught us by our Father in heaven — the language Jesus spoke with his Father. It is the language of heart and mind, which you are using now, in your prayer — the language of contemplation, used by men who are spiritual, because they realize they are children of God. This language is expressed in a thousand motions of our will, in the clear insights of our minds, in the affections of our heart, in our commitment to lead a virtuous life, in goodness, happiness and peace.
You must look at the Child in the manger. He is our Love. Look at him, realizing that the whole thing is a mystery. We need to accept this mystery on faith and use our faith to explore it very deeply. To do this, we must have the humble attitude of a christian soul. Let us not try to reduce the greatness of God to our own poor ideas and human explanations. Let us try to understand that this mystery, for all its darkness, is a light to guide men's lives (Christ is passing by, 13)
And here is the rest of it. Read more...
IN THE HOUSE AT NAZARETH
Jeesus läks koos nendega ja tuli Naatsaretti ning oli neile allaheitlik. Tema ema hoidis kõik need lood oma südames alal. Ja Jeesus kasvas tarkuses ja pikkuses ja armus Jumala ja inimeste juures. Lk 2:51-52
The fact that Jesus grew up and lived just like us shows us that human existence and all the ordinary activity of men have a divine meaning. No matter how much we may have reflected on all this, we should always be surprised when we think of the thirty years of obscurity which made up the greater part of Jesus' life among men. He lived in obscurity, but, for us, that period is full of light. It illuminates our days and fills them with meaning, for we are ordinary Christians who lead an ordinary life, just like millions of other people all over the world.
That was the way Jesus lived for thirty years, as "the son of the carpenter." There followed three years of public life, spent among the crowds. People were surprised: "Who is this?" they asked. "Where has he learned these things?" For he was just like them: he had shared the life of ordinary people. He was "the carpenter, the son of Mary." And he was God; he was achieving the redemption of mankind and "drawing all things to himself." (Christ is passing by, 14).
I dream — and the dream has come true — of multitudes of God's children, sanctifying themselves as ordinary citizens, sharing the ambitions and endeavours of their colleagues and friends. I want to shout to them about this divine truth: if you are there in the middle of ordinary life, it doesn't mean Christ has forgotten about you or hasn't called you. He has invited you to stay among the activities and concerns of the world. He wants you to know that your human vocation, your profession, your talents, are not omitted from his divine plans. He has sanctified them and made them a most acceptable offering to his Father (Christ is passing by, 20).
But if Joseph learned from Jesus to live in a divine way, I would be bold enough to say that, humanly speaking, there was much he taught God's Son. There is something I do not quite like in that title of foster father which is sometimes given to Joseph, because it might make us think of the relationship between Joseph and Jesus as something cold and external. Certainly our faith tells us that he was not his father according to the flesh, but this is not the only kind of fatherhood.'
"Joseph," we read in a sermon of St Augustine, "not only claims the name of father, but he has a greater claim to it than any other." And then he adds: "How was he father? All the more effectively, the more chaste the paternity. Some thought that he was the father of our Lord Jesus Christ in the same way as other fathers who beget sons carnally and do not receive them only as the fruit of a spiritual love. This is why St Luke says: People thought he was the father of Jesus. Why does he say only they thought? Because this thought and human judgment refer to what is usual among men. And our Lord was not born of the seed of Joseph. Yet of the piety and charity of Joseph a son was born to him, of the Virgin Mary, and this was the Son of God."
Joseph loved Jesus as a father loves his son and showed his love by giving him the best he had. Joseph, caring for the child as he had been commanded, made Jesus a craftsman, transmitting his own professional skill to him. So the neighbours of Nazareth will call Jesus both faber and fabri filius: the craftsman and the son of the craftsman. Jesus worked in Joseph's workshop and by Joseph's side. What must Joseph have been, how grace must have worked through him, that he should be able to fulfil this task of the human upbringing of the Son of God!
For Jesus must have resembled Joseph: in his way of working, in the features of his character, in his way of speaking. Jesus' realism, his eye for detail, the way he sat at table and broke bread, his preference for using everyday situations to give doctrine — all this reflects his childhood and the influence of Joseph (Christ is passing by, 55).
Read more...
The fact that Jesus grew up and lived just like us shows us that human existence and all the ordinary activity of men have a divine meaning. No matter how much we may have reflected on all this, we should always be surprised when we think of the thirty years of obscurity which made up the greater part of Jesus' life among men. He lived in obscurity, but, for us, that period is full of light. It illuminates our days and fills them with meaning, for we are ordinary Christians who lead an ordinary life, just like millions of other people all over the world.
That was the way Jesus lived for thirty years, as "the son of the carpenter." There followed three years of public life, spent among the crowds. People were surprised: "Who is this?" they asked. "Where has he learned these things?" For he was just like them: he had shared the life of ordinary people. He was "the carpenter, the son of Mary." And he was God; he was achieving the redemption of mankind and "drawing all things to himself." (Christ is passing by, 14).
I dream — and the dream has come true — of multitudes of God's children, sanctifying themselves as ordinary citizens, sharing the ambitions and endeavours of their colleagues and friends. I want to shout to them about this divine truth: if you are there in the middle of ordinary life, it doesn't mean Christ has forgotten about you or hasn't called you. He has invited you to stay among the activities and concerns of the world. He wants you to know that your human vocation, your profession, your talents, are not omitted from his divine plans. He has sanctified them and made them a most acceptable offering to his Father (Christ is passing by, 20).
But if Joseph learned from Jesus to live in a divine way, I would be bold enough to say that, humanly speaking, there was much he taught God's Son. There is something I do not quite like in that title of foster father which is sometimes given to Joseph, because it might make us think of the relationship between Joseph and Jesus as something cold and external. Certainly our faith tells us that he was not his father according to the flesh, but this is not the only kind of fatherhood.'
"Joseph," we read in a sermon of St Augustine, "not only claims the name of father, but he has a greater claim to it than any other." And then he adds: "How was he father? All the more effectively, the more chaste the paternity. Some thought that he was the father of our Lord Jesus Christ in the same way as other fathers who beget sons carnally and do not receive them only as the fruit of a spiritual love. This is why St Luke says: People thought he was the father of Jesus. Why does he say only they thought? Because this thought and human judgment refer to what is usual among men. And our Lord was not born of the seed of Joseph. Yet of the piety and charity of Joseph a son was born to him, of the Virgin Mary, and this was the Son of God."
Joseph loved Jesus as a father loves his son and showed his love by giving him the best he had. Joseph, caring for the child as he had been commanded, made Jesus a craftsman, transmitting his own professional skill to him. So the neighbours of Nazareth will call Jesus both faber and fabri filius: the craftsman and the son of the craftsman. Jesus worked in Joseph's workshop and by Joseph's side. What must Joseph have been, how grace must have worked through him, that he should be able to fulfil this task of the human upbringing of the Son of God!
For Jesus must have resembled Joseph: in his way of working, in the features of his character, in his way of speaking. Jesus' realism, his eye for detail, the way he sat at table and broke bread, his preference for using everyday situations to give doctrine — all this reflects his childhood and the influence of Joseph (Christ is passing by, 55).
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TEMPTATIONS IN THE DESERT
Siis viis Vaim Jeesuse kõrbesse kuradi kiusata. Ja kui ta oli nelikümmend päeva ja nelikümmend ööd paastunud, siis tuli talle viimaks nälg kätte. Ja kiusaja tuli tema juurde ja ütles talle: "Kui sa oled Jumala Poeg, siis ütle, et need kivid saaksid leibadeks!" Aga Jeesus vastas: "Kirjutatud on: Inimene ei ela üksnes leivast, vaid igast sõnast, mis lähtub Jumala suust." Mt 4:1-4
The whole episode is a mystery which man cannot hope to understand: God submitting to temptation, letting the evil one have his way. But we can meditate upon it, asking our Lord to help us understand the teaching it contains.
Jesus Christ being tempted... tradition likes to see Christ's trials in this way: our Lord, who came to be an example to us in all things, wants to suffer temptation as well. And so it is, for Christ was perfect man, like us in everything except sin. After forty days of fasting, with perhaps no food other than herbs and roots and a little water, he feels hungry — he is really hungry, as anyone would be. And when the devil suggests he turn stones into bread, our Lord not only declines the food which his body requires, but he also rejects a greater temptation: that of using his divine power to solve, if we can express it so, a personal problem.
You have noticed how, throughout the Gospels, Jesus doesn't work miracles for his own benefit. He turns water into wine for the wedding guests at Cana; he multiplies loaves and fish for the hungry crowd. But he earns his bread, for years, with his own work. And later, during his journeys through the land of Israel, he lives with the help of those who follow him.
St John tells how after a long journey when Jesus arrived at the well of Sichar, he sent his disciples into town to buy food. And when he sees the Samaritan woman coming, he asks her for water, since he has no way of getting it. His body, worn out from a long journey, feels weary. On other occasions he has to yield to sleep to regain his strength. How generous our Lord is in humbling himself and fully accepting his human condition! He does not use his divine power to escape from difficulties or effort. Let's pray that he will teach us to be tough, to love work, to appreciate the human and divine nobility of savouring the consequences of self-giving (Christ is passing by, 61).
In the hour of temptation, practise the virtue of Hope, saying: For my rest and enjoyment I have the whole of eternity ahead of me. Here and now, full of Faith, I will earn my rest through work and win my joy through suffering. What will Love be like in Heaven?
Better still, you should practise your Love by saying: What I want is to please my God, my Love, by doing his Will in all things, as though there were neither reward nor punishment — simply to please him (Forge, 1008).
Read more...
The whole episode is a mystery which man cannot hope to understand: God submitting to temptation, letting the evil one have his way. But we can meditate upon it, asking our Lord to help us understand the teaching it contains.Jesus Christ being tempted... tradition likes to see Christ's trials in this way: our Lord, who came to be an example to us in all things, wants to suffer temptation as well. And so it is, for Christ was perfect man, like us in everything except sin. After forty days of fasting, with perhaps no food other than herbs and roots and a little water, he feels hungry — he is really hungry, as anyone would be. And when the devil suggests he turn stones into bread, our Lord not only declines the food which his body requires, but he also rejects a greater temptation: that of using his divine power to solve, if we can express it so, a personal problem.
You have noticed how, throughout the Gospels, Jesus doesn't work miracles for his own benefit. He turns water into wine for the wedding guests at Cana; he multiplies loaves and fish for the hungry crowd. But he earns his bread, for years, with his own work. And later, during his journeys through the land of Israel, he lives with the help of those who follow him.
St John tells how after a long journey when Jesus arrived at the well of Sichar, he sent his disciples into town to buy food. And when he sees the Samaritan woman coming, he asks her for water, since he has no way of getting it. His body, worn out from a long journey, feels weary. On other occasions he has to yield to sleep to regain his strength. How generous our Lord is in humbling himself and fully accepting his human condition! He does not use his divine power to escape from difficulties or effort. Let's pray that he will teach us to be tough, to love work, to appreciate the human and divine nobility of savouring the consequences of self-giving (Christ is passing by, 61).
In the hour of temptation, practise the virtue of Hope, saying: For my rest and enjoyment I have the whole of eternity ahead of me. Here and now, full of Faith, I will earn my rest through work and win my joy through suffering. What will Love be like in Heaven?
Better still, you should practise your Love by saying: What I want is to please my God, my Love, by doing his Will in all things, as though there were neither reward nor punishment — simply to please him (Forge, 1008).
CALLING THE APOSTLES
Aga neil päevil sündis, et Jeesus läks mäele palvetama ja veetis kogu öö Jumalat paludes. Ja kui valgeks läks, kutsus ta oma jüngrid enese juurde ja valis nende seast kaksteist, keda ta nimetas ka apostliteks: Siimona, keda ta nimetas ka Peetruseks, ja tema venna Andrease, ja Jaakobuse ja Johannese ja Filippuse ja Bartolomeuse ja Matteuse ja Tooma ja Jaakobuse, Alfeuse poja, ja Siimona, keda hüütakse Selooteseks, ja Juuda, Jaakobuse poja, ja Juudas Iskarioti, kes sai äraandjaks.Lk 6:12-16
I'm greatly encouraged whenever I consider a written precedent for what we have been talking about. We find it, step by step, in the Gospel's account of the vocation of the first twelve. Let's meditate on it slowly, asking those holy witnesses of our Lord to help us follow Christ as they did.
The first Apostles, for whom I have great affection and devotion, were nothing to boast about, humanly speaking. With the exception of Matthew, who probably earned a comfortable living which he left behind at the behest of Jesus, the Apostles were mere fishermen. They lived a meagre existence, fishing all night to keep food on the table.
But social status is unimportant. They weren't educated; they weren't even very bright, if we judge from their reaction to supernatural things. Finding even the most elementary examples and comparisons beyond their reach, they would turn to the Master and ask: "Explain the parable to us."
When Jesus uses the image of the "leaven" of the Pharisees, they think that he's reproaching them for not having purchased bread.
They were poor; they were ignorant. They weren't very simple or open. But they were even ambitious. Frequently they argued over who would be the greatest when — according to their understanding — Christ would definitively restore the kingdom of Israel. Amid the intimacy of the last supper, during that sublime moment when Jesus is about to immolate himself for all of humanity, we find them arguing heatedly.
Faith? They had little. Jesus Christ himself points this out.
They had seen the dead raised, all kinds of sicknesses cured, bread and fish multiplied, storms calmed, devils cast out. Chosen as the head, St Peter is the only one who reacts quickly: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
But it is a faith beset by limitations, which lead Peter to reproach Jesus Christ for his desire to suffer and die for the redemption of men. And Jesus had to upbraid him: "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men..."
...And did these men of little faith at least stand out in their love for Christ? Undoubtedly they loved him, at least in word. At times they were swept away by enthusiasm: "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
But at the moment of truth, they all fled, except for John who truly loved with deeds. Only this adolescent, youngest of the Apostles, can be found next to the cross. The others didn't find within themselves that love as strong as death.
These were the disciples called by our Lord. Such stuff is what Christ chose. And they remain just like that until they are filled with the Holy Spirit and thus become pillars of the Church.
They are ordinary men, complete with defects and shortcomings, more eager to say than to do. Nevertheless, Jesus calls them to be fishers of men, co-redeemers, dispensers of the grace of God.
Something similar has happened to us... (Christ is passing by, 2 – 3).
Read more...
I'm greatly encouraged whenever I consider a written precedent for what we have been talking about. We find it, step by step, in the Gospel's account of the vocation of the first twelve. Let's meditate on it slowly, asking those holy witnesses of our Lord to help us follow Christ as they did.
The first Apostles, for whom I have great affection and devotion, were nothing to boast about, humanly speaking. With the exception of Matthew, who probably earned a comfortable living which he left behind at the behest of Jesus, the Apostles were mere fishermen. They lived a meagre existence, fishing all night to keep food on the table.
But social status is unimportant. They weren't educated; they weren't even very bright, if we judge from their reaction to supernatural things. Finding even the most elementary examples and comparisons beyond their reach, they would turn to the Master and ask: "Explain the parable to us."
When Jesus uses the image of the "leaven" of the Pharisees, they think that he's reproaching them for not having purchased bread.
They were poor; they were ignorant. They weren't very simple or open. But they were even ambitious. Frequently they argued over who would be the greatest when — according to their understanding — Christ would definitively restore the kingdom of Israel. Amid the intimacy of the last supper, during that sublime moment when Jesus is about to immolate himself for all of humanity, we find them arguing heatedly.
Faith? They had little. Jesus Christ himself points this out.
They had seen the dead raised, all kinds of sicknesses cured, bread and fish multiplied, storms calmed, devils cast out. Chosen as the head, St Peter is the only one who reacts quickly: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
But it is a faith beset by limitations, which lead Peter to reproach Jesus Christ for his desire to suffer and die for the redemption of men. And Jesus had to upbraid him: "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men..."
...And did these men of little faith at least stand out in their love for Christ? Undoubtedly they loved him, at least in word. At times they were swept away by enthusiasm: "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
But at the moment of truth, they all fled, except for John who truly loved with deeds. Only this adolescent, youngest of the Apostles, can be found next to the cross. The others didn't find within themselves that love as strong as death.
These were the disciples called by our Lord. Such stuff is what Christ chose. And they remain just like that until they are filled with the Holy Spirit and thus become pillars of the Church.
They are ordinary men, complete with defects and shortcomings, more eager to say than to do. Nevertheless, Jesus calls them to be fishers of men, co-redeemers, dispensers of the grace of God.
Something similar has happened to us... (Christ is passing by, 2 – 3).
Read more...
CONVERSIONG WITH EVERYONE
Seda kõike rääkis Jeesus rahvahulkadele tähendamissõnades. Mt 13:34
"Our Lord does not limit his dialogue to a small, restricted group: he talks with everyone. With the holy women, with the entire crowd; with representatives of the upper classes of Israel like Nicodemus, and with publicans like Zacchaeus; with scrupulously observant persons, and with sinners like the Samaritan woman; with the sick and with the healthy; with the poor, whom he loved with all his heart; with the doctors of the law and with pagans, whose faith he praised as greater than any in Israel; with the elderly and with children. "]esus does not deny anyone his word, and it is a word which heals, which consoles, which enlightens. How many times I have meditated and had others meditate upon this apostolic style of Christ, at once both human and divine, based on friendship and confidence!
"Recall Christ’s conversation with the Samaritan woman. ‘What a marvelous way of speaking! He knows how to say things in such a way that this woman is transformed from a sinner to a proclaimer of the truth: ‘Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?’ They went out of the city and were coming to him. Yes, my daughters and sons, the dialogue of Christ is not a will-o’—the- wisp, nor a vain mental exercise; it is the word of truth that ignites and enkindles with a divine flame. "]esus always speaks with love. He has com- passion on the sorrow of the widow of Naim, on the misery of the lepers; he has mercy, above all, with the sinner. lesus is expertly tactful, in saying an en- couraging word, in corresponding to friendship with friendship in return. What conversations those in the, house of Bethany, with Lazarus, Martha, and Mary!
"But lesus also knows how to be demanding, knows how to get people to face their duties squarely, even at the risk of being spurned. See how the heart 3 of Christ is shown in his concern for the rich young L man who approaches him on one occasion: Iesus looks upon him with love, while he asks of him detachment from his riches. Oui contristatus in verbo abiit moerens, the adolescent went away sad, because the word of God——when it is not accepted— becomes as bitter as bile.
"Therefore, talk is not enough; we have to act, we have to put into practice the teaching we receive.
Otherwise, dialogue——even dialogue with God—is not fruitful; because ‘not everyone who says to me: Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of my Father,. they will enter " ]esus is not moved by considerations of false prudence, nor by a deceitful politeness that would smooth over the hard edges of the truth. He talks, for instance, with some Pharisees who were after him at caperenteum in sermone, to attack him using whatever words came out of his mouth. But he does not vacillate in speaking the truth, calling by name that which has no other name: Brood of vipers—he exclaims—how can you speak good, when you are evil? Another time it is he who initiates the dialogue, even if he is not being interrogated. Jesus speaks be- cause he sees in his surroundings the need to give doctrine, to correct a twisted mentality: Simon, habeo, tibi aliqaid dicere; ‘Simon, I have something to say to you. Jesus does not understand dialogue as a concession that falsifies the truth.
"He is inclined to speak with everyone, even those who do not wish to know the truth, like Pilate: Tu dicis qaia rex sam ego. (‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born and for this I have come, into the world: to give witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.’). But- when the moment calls for it—he speaks without euphemisms, even harshly. At times tough actions accompany tough words: And making a whip of cords, he drove them all . . . out of the temple. Do not think that our Lord was irascible. He is mitis et humilis corde, meek and humble of heart; but he r knows thatthe heart of man is sometimes as hard as bronze, and that only fire can melt it: the fire of love, the fire of the truth, the fire of the mission received from the Father. And so, the least symptom of good will, of desire to know that which is authentic, is reason enough for him to bend over backwards to I enlighten, to bless, to praise." Letter of October 24, 1965, in Studi Cattolici 293/294 (1985).
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"Our Lord does not limit his dialogue to a small, restricted group: he talks with everyone. With the holy women, with the entire crowd; with representatives of the upper classes of Israel like Nicodemus, and with publicans like Zacchaeus; with scrupulously observant persons, and with sinners like the Samaritan woman; with the sick and with the healthy; with the poor, whom he loved with all his heart; with the doctors of the law and with pagans, whose faith he praised as greater than any in Israel; with the elderly and with children. "]esus does not deny anyone his word, and it is a word which heals, which consoles, which enlightens. How many times I have meditated and had others meditate upon this apostolic style of Christ, at once both human and divine, based on friendship and confidence!
"Recall Christ’s conversation with the Samaritan woman. ‘What a marvelous way of speaking! He knows how to say things in such a way that this woman is transformed from a sinner to a proclaimer of the truth: ‘Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?’ They went out of the city and were coming to him. Yes, my daughters and sons, the dialogue of Christ is not a will-o’—the- wisp, nor a vain mental exercise; it is the word of truth that ignites and enkindles with a divine flame. "]esus always speaks with love. He has com- passion on the sorrow of the widow of Naim, on the misery of the lepers; he has mercy, above all, with the sinner. lesus is expertly tactful, in saying an en- couraging word, in corresponding to friendship with friendship in return. What conversations those in the, house of Bethany, with Lazarus, Martha, and Mary!
"But lesus also knows how to be demanding, knows how to get people to face their duties squarely, even at the risk of being spurned. See how the heart 3 of Christ is shown in his concern for the rich young L man who approaches him on one occasion: Iesus looks upon him with love, while he asks of him detachment from his riches. Oui contristatus in verbo abiit moerens, the adolescent went away sad, because the word of God——when it is not accepted— becomes as bitter as bile.
"Therefore, talk is not enough; we have to act, we have to put into practice the teaching we receive.
Otherwise, dialogue——even dialogue with God—is not fruitful; because ‘not everyone who says to me: Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of my Father,. they will enter " ]esus is not moved by considerations of false prudence, nor by a deceitful politeness that would smooth over the hard edges of the truth. He talks, for instance, with some Pharisees who were after him at caperenteum in sermone, to attack him using whatever words came out of his mouth. But he does not vacillate in speaking the truth, calling by name that which has no other name: Brood of vipers—he exclaims—how can you speak good, when you are evil? Another time it is he who initiates the dialogue, even if he is not being interrogated. Jesus speaks be- cause he sees in his surroundings the need to give doctrine, to correct a twisted mentality: Simon, habeo, tibi aliqaid dicere; ‘Simon, I have something to say to you. Jesus does not understand dialogue as a concession that falsifies the truth.
"He is inclined to speak with everyone, even those who do not wish to know the truth, like Pilate: Tu dicis qaia rex sam ego. (‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born and for this I have come, into the world: to give witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.’). But- when the moment calls for it—he speaks without euphemisms, even harshly. At times tough actions accompany tough words: And making a whip of cords, he drove them all . . . out of the temple. Do not think that our Lord was irascible. He is mitis et humilis corde, meek and humble of heart; but he r knows thatthe heart of man is sometimes as hard as bronze, and that only fire can melt it: the fire of love, the fire of the truth, the fire of the mission received from the Father. And so, the least symptom of good will, of desire to know that which is authentic, is reason enough for him to bend over backwards to I enlighten, to bless, to praise." Letter of October 24, 1965, in Studi Cattolici 293/294 (1985).
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THE BEATITUDES
Aga kui Jeesus nägi rahvahulki, läks ta üles mäele ja istus sinna maha, ja kui jüngrid olid tema ümber kogunenud, avas ta oma suu ja õpetas neid: „Õndsad on need, kes on vaimus vaese... Mt 5:1...
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kindom of heaven.
If you want to achieve this spirit, I would advise you to be sparing with yourself while being very generous towards others. Avoid unnecessary expenditure on luxuries and comforts, whether out of caprice, or vanity, etc. Don't create needs for yourself. In other words, learn from St Paul 'to live in poverty and to live in abundance, to be filled and to be hungry, to live in plenty and to live in want: I can do all things in him who comforts me'. Like the Apostle, we too will come out winners in this spiritual combat if we keep our hearts unattached and free from ties (Friends of God 123).
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be conforted.
You enjoy an interior happiness and peace that you would not exchange for anything in the world. God is here. There is no better way than telling him our woes for them to cease being such (Forge, 54).
Blesses are the meek, they shall inherit the earth
It made me think when I heard that hard but true saying from a man of God, when he observed the haughtiness of a miserable creature: “He wears the same skin as the devil — pride.”
And there came to my mind, in contrast, a sincere desire to wrap myself in the virtue taught by Jesus Christ when he said, Quia mitis sum et humilis corde — I am meek and humble of heart. It was the virtue which attracted the gaze of the Most Holy Trinity to his Mother and our Mother: the humility of knowing and having the feeling that we are nothing (Furrow, 726).
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied
First of all, we must be just towards God. Let this fact be firmly impressed in our hearts, so that it shows in our behaviour, for it is the touchstone of the true 'hunger and thirst for justice', which distinguishes this virtue from the shouting of the envious and resentful and from the outcries of the selfish and greedy... For the worst and most ungrateful injustice is to deny our Creator and Redeemer the recognition of the abundant and wonderful gifts he has given us. If you are really striving to be just, you will often reflect on your utter dependence upon God, and be filled with gratitude and the desire to repay the favours of a Father who loves us to the point of madness: 'For what have you got that you have not received?' (Friends of God 167.)
Blessed are the merciful, they shall obtain mercy
The life of Jesus Christ is a summary and compendium of the story of divine mercy: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." And on another occasion our Lord said: "Be merciful, therefore, even as your Father is merciful." Many other scenes of the Gospel have also made a deep impact on us, such as his forgiveness of the adulterous woman, the parable of the prodigal son, that of the lost sheep, that of the pardoned debtor, the resurrection of the son of the widow at Naim...What security should be ours in considering the mercy of the Lord! (Christ is passing by, 7).
Blessed are the pure in heart, they shall see God
By divine vocation, some are called to live this purity in marriage. Others, foregoing all human love, are called to correspond solely and passionately to God's love. Far from being slaves to sensuality, both the married and the unmarried are to be masters of their body and heart in order to give themselves unstintingly to others... Holy purity is not the only nor the principal christian virtue. It is, however, essential if we are to persevere in the daily effort of our sanctification. If it is not lived, there can be no apostolic dedication. Purity is a consequence of the love that prompts us to commit to Christ our soul and body, our faculties and senses. It is not something negative; it is a joyful affirmation (Christ is passing by, 5).
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God
The task for a Christian is to drown evil in an abundance of good. It is not a question of negative campaigns, or of being anti anything. On the contrary, we should live positively, full of optimism, with youthfulness, joy and peace. We should be understanding with everybody, with the followers of Christ and with those who abandon him, or do not know him at all.
—But understanding does not mean holding back, or remaining indifferent, but being active (Furrow 864).
Blessed are those who are persecutedfor rightneouss´ sake, for theirs is the kindom of heaven
Contempt and persecution are blessed signs of divine predilection, but there is no proof and sign of predilection more beautiful than this: to pass unnoticed (The Way, 959).
Blessed are you when men revile ou and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.
When we think we have been accused of something unjustly, we should examine our behaviour, in God’s presence, cum gaudio et pace — calmly and cheerfully; and we should change our ways if charity bids us, even if our actions were harmless.
—We have to struggle to be saints, more and more each day. Then let people say what they like so long as we can apply the words of the beatitude to their utterances: Beati estis cum... dixerint omne malum adversus vos mentientes propter me — Blessed are you when they slander you for my sake (Forge, 795).
THE COMPASSION OF JESUS
Ja mõni aeg hiljem läks Jeesus linna, mida hüütakse Nainiks, ja temaga läksid kaasa ta jüngrid ja suur hulk rahvast. Aga just siis, kui ta linna väravale lähenes, kanti välja surnut, oma ema ainsat poega, ja ema oli lesk. Ja üsna suur hulk linnarahvast saatis teda. Ja kui Issand nägi ema, hakkas tal temast hale ja ta ütles: "Ära nuta enam!" Ja ta astus ligi ja puudutas surnuraami, mispeale kandjad jäid seisma. Ja ta ütles: "Noormees, ma ütlen sulle, ärka üles!"
Ja surnu tõusis istuli ja hakkas rääkima. Ja Jeesus andis poja ta emale tagasi. Aga kõiki haaras kartus ja nad ülistasid Jumalat ja ütlesid: "Meie seas on tõusnud suur prohvet!" ja "Jumal on tulnud hoolitsema oma rahva eest!" Lk 7:11-16
Do you remember the scene St Luke depicts when Jesus is approaching Naim? Jesus crosses paths again with a crowd of people. He could have passed by or waited until they called him. But he didn't. He took the initiative, because he was moved by a widow's sorrow. She had just lost all she had, her son.
The evangelist explains that Jesus was moved. Perhaps he even showed signs of it, as when Lazarus died. Jesus Christ was not, and is not, insensitive to the suffering that stems from love. He is pained at seeing children separated from their parents. He overcomes death so as to give life, to reunite those who love one another. But at the same time, he requires that we first admit the pre-eminence of divine love, which alone can inspire genuine Christian living.
Christ knows he is surrounded by a crowd which will be awed by the miracle and will tell the story all over the countryside. But he does not act artificially, merely to make an effect. Quite simply he is touched by that woman's suffering and cannot keep from consoling her. So he goes up to her and says, "Do not weep." It is like saying: "I don't want to see you crying; I have come on earth to bring joy and peace." And then comes the miracle, the sign of the power of Christ who is God. But first came his compassion, an evident sign of the tenderness of the heart of Christ the man.
If we don't learn from Jesus, we will never love. If, like some people, we were to think that to keep a clean heart, a heart worthy of God, means "not mixing it up, not contaminating it" with human affection, we would become insensitive to other people's pain and sorrow. We would he capable only of an "official charity," something dry and soulless. But ours would not be the true charity of Jesus Christ, which involves affection and human warmth. In saying this, I am not supporting the mistaken theories — pitiful excuses — which misdirect hearts away from God and lead them into occasions of sin and perdition.
... If we want to help others, we must love them — I insist — with a love clothed in understanding, dedication, affection and voluntary humility. Then we will understand why our Lord summed up the whole law in that double commandment, which is really just one: love of God, and love of one's neighbour, with all our heart (Christ is passing by, 166-167).
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Ja surnu tõusis istuli ja hakkas rääkima. Ja Jeesus andis poja ta emale tagasi. Aga kõiki haaras kartus ja nad ülistasid Jumalat ja ütlesid: "Meie seas on tõusnud suur prohvet!" ja "Jumal on tulnud hoolitsema oma rahva eest!" Lk 7:11-16
Do you remember the scene St Luke depicts when Jesus is approaching Naim? Jesus crosses paths again with a crowd of people. He could have passed by or waited until they called him. But he didn't. He took the initiative, because he was moved by a widow's sorrow. She had just lost all she had, her son.
The evangelist explains that Jesus was moved. Perhaps he even showed signs of it, as when Lazarus died. Jesus Christ was not, and is not, insensitive to the suffering that stems from love. He is pained at seeing children separated from their parents. He overcomes death so as to give life, to reunite those who love one another. But at the same time, he requires that we first admit the pre-eminence of divine love, which alone can inspire genuine Christian living.
Christ knows he is surrounded by a crowd which will be awed by the miracle and will tell the story all over the countryside. But he does not act artificially, merely to make an effect. Quite simply he is touched by that woman's suffering and cannot keep from consoling her. So he goes up to her and says, "Do not weep." It is like saying: "I don't want to see you crying; I have come on earth to bring joy and peace." And then comes the miracle, the sign of the power of Christ who is God. But first came his compassion, an evident sign of the tenderness of the heart of Christ the man.
If we don't learn from Jesus, we will never love. If, like some people, we were to think that to keep a clean heart, a heart worthy of God, means "not mixing it up, not contaminating it" with human affection, we would become insensitive to other people's pain and sorrow. We would he capable only of an "official charity," something dry and soulless. But ours would not be the true charity of Jesus Christ, which involves affection and human warmth. In saying this, I am not supporting the mistaken theories — pitiful excuses — which misdirect hearts away from God and lead them into occasions of sin and perdition.
... If we want to help others, we must love them — I insist — with a love clothed in understanding, dedication, affection and voluntary humility. Then we will understand why our Lord summed up the whole law in that double commandment, which is really just one: love of God, and love of one's neighbour, with all our heart (Christ is passing by, 166-167).
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PARABLE OF THE SOWER
Aga kui rahvahulki kogunes ja kõigist linnadest Jeesuse juurde tuli, rääkis ta neile tähendamissõnaga: "Külvaja läks välja oma seemet külvama. Ja külvamisel pudenes osa seemet tee äärde ning tallati ära ja taeva linnud nokkisid selle....
See tähendamissõna aga tähendab: seeme on Jumala sõna. Teeäärsed on need, kes kuulevad, aga pärast tuleb kurat ja võtab sõna ära nende südamest, et nad ei usuks ega pääseks. Lk 8: 4-5, 11-12
Some hearts close themselves to the light of faith. Ideals of peace, reconciliation and brotherhood are widely accepted and proclaimed, but all too often the facts belie them. Some people are futilely bent on smothering God's voice. To drown it out they use brute force or a method which is more subtle but perhaps more cruel because it drugs the spirit, indifference (Christ is passing by, 150).
Ja osa kukkus kaljule, ja see kuivas tärgates, sest sel ei olnud niiskust. (...) Kaljupealsed on need, kes kuuldes võtavad sõna rõõmuga vastu, ent neil ei ole juurt, üürikest aega nad usuvad, ent kiusatuse ajal taganevad ära. Lk 8:6 ja 13
You may perhaps have noticed... many people who call themselves Christians because they have been baptised and have received other sacraments, but then prove to be disloyal and deceitful, insincere and proud, and... they fail to achieve anything. They are like shooting stars, lighting up the sky for an instant and then falling away to nothing.
If we accept the responsibility of being children of God, we will realise that God wants us to be very human. Our heads should indeed be touching heaven, but our feet should be firmly on the ground. The price of living as Christians is not that of ceasing to be human or of abandoning the effort to acquire those virtues which some have even without knowing Christ. The price paid for each Christian is the redeeming Blood of Our Lord and he, I insist, wants us to be both very human and very divine, struggling each day to imitate him who is perfectus Deus, perfectus homo (Friends of God, 75).
Ja osa kukkus ohakate keskele, ja samal ajal tärganud ohakad lämmatasid selle. (...) Mis ohakate sekka kukkus, on aga need, kes sõna küll kuulsid, ent edaspidi lämmatavad neid muretsemised ja rikkus ja elulõbud ning nende vili ei saa küpseks. Lk 8:7 ja 14
Don’t be ashamed to discover in your heart the fomes peccati — the inclination to evil, which will be with you as long as you live, for nobody is free from this burden.
Don’t be ashamed, because the all—powerful and merciful Lord has given us all the means we need for overcoming this inclination: the Sacraments, a life of piety and sanctified work.
—Persevere in using these means, ever ready to begin again and again without getting discouraged. (Fourge, 119).
Ja osa kukkus heasse mulda, ja kui see tärkas, kandis see sajakordselt vilja."( ...) Aga mis on heas mullas, on need, kes sõna kuuldes seda kaunis ja heas südames säilitavad ja kannatlikkuses vilja kannavad. Lk 8:8 ja 15
If we look around, if we take a look at the world, which we love because it is God's handiwork, we will find that the parable holds true. The word of Jesus Christ is fruitful, it stirs many souls to dedication and fidelity. The life and conduct of those who serve God have changed history. Even many of those who do not know our Lord are motivated, perhaps unconsciously, by ideals which derive from Christianity (Christ is Passing By, 150).
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THE MUTE DEVIL
Aga kui Jeesus nägi, et rahvahulk kokku jookseb, sõitles ta rüvedat vaimu: "Sina keeletu ja kurt vaim, ma käsin sind, mine temast välja ja ära tule kunagi enam tema sisse!" Ja vaim läks välja kisendades ja teda üha raputades ning poiss jäi otsekui surnuks, nii et paljud ütlesid, et ta on surnud. Aga Jeesus võttis poisi käest kinni, tõstis ta üles, ja poiss tõusis püsti. Ja kui nad olid koju tulnud, küsisid ta jüngrid temalt omavahel olles: "Miks meie ei suutnud seda välja ajada?" Ja Jeesus ütles neile: "See tõug ei lähe välja millegi muu kui palvega." Mk 9:14-29
Just because we discover how fragile we are is no reason to run away from God. What we must do is to attack our defects, precisely because we know that God trusts us.
THE MUTE DEVIL
Ja kui nad tulid jüngrite juurde, nägid nad suurt rahvahulka nende ümber ja kirjatundjaid jüngritega vaidlemas. Niipea kui rahvahulk Jeesust nägi, olid nad kõik väga hämmastunud, jooksid tema juurde ja tervitasid teda. Ja Jeesus küsis neilt: "Miks te vaidlete nendega?" Keegi rahva hulgast vastas talle: "Õpetaja, ma tõin sinu juurde oma poja, kellel on keeletu vaim, ja kus tahes see teda tabab, paiskab see ta maha ja siis mu poeg ajab vahtu suust ja kiristab hambaid ja kangestub. Ja ma ütlesin su jüngritele, et nad ajaksid selle välja, ent nad
ei suutnud." Aga tema vastas neile: "Oh uskmatu sugupõlv! Kui kaua ma pean teie juures olema? Kui kaua tuleb mul teiega kannatlik olla? Tooge ta minu juurde!" Ja nad tõid ta Jeesuse juurde ja Jeesust nähes raputas vaim kohe poissi ja poiss kukkus maha ja vähkres vahtu suust ajades. Ja Jeesus küsis tema isalt: "Kui kaua see juba temaga nõnda on?" Aga tema ütles: "Lapsest saadik, ja see vaim on teda sageli visanud ka tulle ja vette, et teda hukata. Aga kui sa midagi võid - tunne meile kaasa ja aita meid!" Aga Jeesus ütles talle: "Sa ütled: Kui sa võid! Kõik on võimalik sellele, kes usub." Otsekohe hüüdis lapse isa: "Ma usun, aita mind mu uskmatuses!" Aga kui Jeesus nägi, et rahvahulk kokku jookseb, sõitles ta rüvedat vaimu: "Sina keeletu ja kurt vaim, ma käsin sind, mine temast välja ja ära tule kunagi enam tema sisse!" Ja vaim läks välja kisendades ja teda üha raputades ning poiss jäi otsekui surnuks, nii et paljud ütlesid, et ta on surnud. Aga Jeesus võttis poisi käest kinni, tõstis ta üles, ja poiss tõusis püsti.
Ja kui nad olid koju tulnud, küsisid ta jüngrid temalt omavahel olles: "Miks meie ei suutnud seda välja ajada?" Ja Jeesus ütles neile: "See tõug ei lähe välja millegi muu kui palvega." Mk 9:14-29
Just because we discover how fragile we are is no reason to run away from God. What we must do is to attack our defects, precisely because we know that God trusts us.
How shall we be able to overcome our meanness? Let me make the point again because it is so important: by being humble and by being sincere in spiritual direction and in the Sacrament of Penance. Go to those who direct your souls with your hearts open wide. Do not close your hearts, for if the dumb devil gets in, it is very difficult to get rid of him.
Forgive me for insisting on these points, but I believe it is absolutely necessary for you to have deeply impressed on your minds the fact that humility, together with its immediate consequence, sincerity; are the thread which links the other means together. These two virtues act as a foundation on which a solid victory can be built. If the dumb devil gets inside a soul, he ruins everything. On the other hand, if he is cast out immediately, everything turns out well; we are happy and life goes forward properly. Let us always be brutally sincere, but in a good mannered way.
I want one thing to be clear: I am not as worried about the heart or the flesh as I am about pride. Be humble. If ever you think you are completely and utterly right, you are not right at all. Go to spiritual direction with your soul wide open. Don't close it because, I repeat, the dumb devil will get in, and it is difficult to get him out again.
Remember the poor boy who was possessed by a devil, and the disciples were unable to set him free. Only Our Lord could free him, by prayer and fasting. On that occasion the Master worked three miracles. The first enabled the boy to hear because, when the dumb devil gets control, the soul refuses to listen. The second made him speak, and the third expelled the devil.
Tell first what you would not like to be known. Down with the dumb devil! By turning some small matter over and over in your mind, you will make it snowball into something big, with you trapped inside. What's the point of doing that? Open up your soul! I promise that you will be happy, that is faithful to your Christian way, if you are sincere. Clarity and simplicity: they are absolutely necessary dispositions. We have to open up our souls completely, so that the sun of God and the charity of Love can enter in.
It is not necessarily bad will that prevents people from being utterly sincere. Sometimes they may simply have an erroneous conscience. Some people have so formed, or rather deformed, their consciences that they think their dumbness, their lack of simplicity, is something good. They think it is good to say nothing. This can even happen to people who have received an excellent training and know the things of God. This may indeed be what is convincing them that they should not speak out. But they are wrong. Sincerity is a must, always. There are no valid excuses, no matter how good they seem (Friends of God 187-189).
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Just because we discover how fragile we are is no reason to run away from God. What we must do is to attack our defects, precisely because we know that God trusts us.
THE MUTE DEVIL
Ja kui nad tulid jüngrite juurde, nägid nad suurt rahvahulka nende ümber ja kirjatundjaid jüngritega vaidlemas. Niipea kui rahvahulk Jeesust nägi, olid nad kõik väga hämmastunud, jooksid tema juurde ja tervitasid teda. Ja Jeesus küsis neilt: "Miks te vaidlete nendega?" Keegi rahva hulgast vastas talle: "Õpetaja, ma tõin sinu juurde oma poja, kellel on keeletu vaim, ja kus tahes see teda tabab, paiskab see ta maha ja siis mu poeg ajab vahtu suust ja kiristab hambaid ja kangestub. Ja ma ütlesin su jüngritele, et nad ajaksid selle välja, ent nad
ei suutnud." Aga tema vastas neile: "Oh uskmatu sugupõlv! Kui kaua ma pean teie juures olema? Kui kaua tuleb mul teiega kannatlik olla? Tooge ta minu juurde!" Ja nad tõid ta Jeesuse juurde ja Jeesust nähes raputas vaim kohe poissi ja poiss kukkus maha ja vähkres vahtu suust ajades. Ja Jeesus küsis tema isalt: "Kui kaua see juba temaga nõnda on?" Aga tema ütles: "Lapsest saadik, ja see vaim on teda sageli visanud ka tulle ja vette, et teda hukata. Aga kui sa midagi võid - tunne meile kaasa ja aita meid!" Aga Jeesus ütles talle: "Sa ütled: Kui sa võid! Kõik on võimalik sellele, kes usub." Otsekohe hüüdis lapse isa: "Ma usun, aita mind mu uskmatuses!" Aga kui Jeesus nägi, et rahvahulk kokku jookseb, sõitles ta rüvedat vaimu: "Sina keeletu ja kurt vaim, ma käsin sind, mine temast välja ja ära tule kunagi enam tema sisse!" Ja vaim läks välja kisendades ja teda üha raputades ning poiss jäi otsekui surnuks, nii et paljud ütlesid, et ta on surnud. Aga Jeesus võttis poisi käest kinni, tõstis ta üles, ja poiss tõusis püsti.
Ja kui nad olid koju tulnud, küsisid ta jüngrid temalt omavahel olles: "Miks meie ei suutnud seda välja ajada?" Ja Jeesus ütles neile: "See tõug ei lähe välja millegi muu kui palvega." Mk 9:14-29
Just because we discover how fragile we are is no reason to run away from God. What we must do is to attack our defects, precisely because we know that God trusts us.
How shall we be able to overcome our meanness? Let me make the point again because it is so important: by being humble and by being sincere in spiritual direction and in the Sacrament of Penance. Go to those who direct your souls with your hearts open wide. Do not close your hearts, for if the dumb devil gets in, it is very difficult to get rid of him.
Forgive me for insisting on these points, but I believe it is absolutely necessary for you to have deeply impressed on your minds the fact that humility, together with its immediate consequence, sincerity; are the thread which links the other means together. These two virtues act as a foundation on which a solid victory can be built. If the dumb devil gets inside a soul, he ruins everything. On the other hand, if he is cast out immediately, everything turns out well; we are happy and life goes forward properly. Let us always be brutally sincere, but in a good mannered way.
I want one thing to be clear: I am not as worried about the heart or the flesh as I am about pride. Be humble. If ever you think you are completely and utterly right, you are not right at all. Go to spiritual direction with your soul wide open. Don't close it because, I repeat, the dumb devil will get in, and it is difficult to get him out again.
Remember the poor boy who was possessed by a devil, and the disciples were unable to set him free. Only Our Lord could free him, by prayer and fasting. On that occasion the Master worked three miracles. The first enabled the boy to hear because, when the dumb devil gets control, the soul refuses to listen. The second made him speak, and the third expelled the devil.
Tell first what you would not like to be known. Down with the dumb devil! By turning some small matter over and over in your mind, you will make it snowball into something big, with you trapped inside. What's the point of doing that? Open up your soul! I promise that you will be happy, that is faithful to your Christian way, if you are sincere. Clarity and simplicity: they are absolutely necessary dispositions. We have to open up our souls completely, so that the sun of God and the charity of Love can enter in.
It is not necessarily bad will that prevents people from being utterly sincere. Sometimes they may simply have an erroneous conscience. Some people have so formed, or rather deformed, their consciences that they think their dumbness, their lack of simplicity, is something good. They think it is good to say nothing. This can even happen to people who have received an excellent training and know the things of God. This may indeed be what is convincing them that they should not speak out. But they are wrong. Sincerity is a must, always. There are no valid excuses, no matter how good they seem (Friends of God 187-189).
LIKE CHILDREN
Ja nad tulid Kapernauma. Ja kui nad jõudsid koju, küsis Jeesus neilt: "Mille üle te tee peal arutlesite?" Nemad aga jäid vait, sest nad olid teel omavahel arutanud, kes on suurim. Ja Jeesus istus maha, kutsus need kaksteist ja ütles neile: "Kui keegi tahab olla esimene, siis ta olgu viimane ja kõikide teenija!" Ja ta võttis ühe lapse, pani nende keskele seisma, kaisutas last ja ütles neile: "Kes iganes ühe niisuguse lapse vastu võtab minu nimel, võtab vastu minu, ja kes iganes vastu võtab minu, võtab vastu mitte minu, vaid minu Läkitaja." Mk 9:33-37
Doesn't this way Jesus has of doing things move us to love him? He teaches them the doctrine and then, to enable them to understand it, he gives them a living example. He calls a little child, one of the children running around the house, and he lovingly embraces him. How eloquent Our Lord's silence is! With it he has already said everything. He loves those who become as little children. He then adds that the reward for this simplicity, for this humility of spirit, is the joy of being able to embrace him and his Father who is in heaven (Friends of God,102).
To become children we must renounce our pride and self-sufficiency, recognizing that we can do nothing by ourselves. We must realize that we need grace, and the help of God our Father to find our way and keep to it. To be little, you have to abandon yourself as children do, believe as children believe, beg as children beg.
And we learn all this through contact with Mary... Because Mary is our mother, devotion to her teaches us to be authentic sons: to love truly, without limit; to be simple, without the complications which come from selfishly thinking only about ourselves; to be happy, knowing that nothing can destroy our hope. "The beginning of the way, at the end of which you will find yourself completely carried away by love for Jesus, is a trusting love for Mary." (Christ is passing By, 143).
What a wonderful thing it is to be a child! When a man asks a favour, his request must be backed by a list of his qualifications.
When it is a child who asks — since children haven't any qualifications — it's enough for him to say: I'm a son of So-and-so.
Doesn't this way Jesus has of doing things move us to love him? He teaches them the doctrine and then, to enable them to understand it, he gives them a living example. He calls a little child, one of the children running around the house, and he lovingly embraces him. How eloquent Our Lord's silence is! With it he has already said everything. He loves those who become as little children. He then adds that the reward for this simplicity, for this humility of spirit, is the joy of being able to embrace him and his Father who is in heaven (Friends of God,102).To become children we must renounce our pride and self-sufficiency, recognizing that we can do nothing by ourselves. We must realize that we need grace, and the help of God our Father to find our way and keep to it. To be little, you have to abandon yourself as children do, believe as children believe, beg as children beg.
And we learn all this through contact with Mary... Because Mary is our mother, devotion to her teaches us to be authentic sons: to love truly, without limit; to be simple, without the complications which come from selfishly thinking only about ourselves; to be happy, knowing that nothing can destroy our hope. "The beginning of the way, at the end of which you will find yourself completely carried away by love for Jesus, is a trusting love for Mary." (Christ is passing By, 143).
What a wonderful thing it is to be a child! When a man asks a favour, his request must be backed by a list of his qualifications.
When it is a child who asks — since children haven't any qualifications — it's enough for him to say: I'm a son of So-and-so.
Ah, Lord, — say it to him with all your heart! — I am a son of God! (The Way, 892).
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THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Tõesti, tõesti, ma ütlen teile, kes ei lähe lambatarasse uksest, vaid ronib üle mujalt, see on varas ja röövel. Aga kes läheb sisse uksest, on lammaste karjane. Temale avab uksehoidja ning lambad kuulevad ta häält, tema hüüab oma lambaid nimepidi ning viib nad välja. Kui ta on kõik omad välja ajanud, käib ta nende ees ning lambad järgnevad talle, sest nad tunnevad tema häält. Aga võõrale nad ei järgne, vaid põgenevad ta juurest, sest nad ei tunne võõraste häält...
"Tõesti, tõesti, ma ütlen teile, mina olen uks lammaste jaoks. Kes iganes läheb sisse minu kaudu, see pääseb ning käib sisse ja välja ning leiab karjamaad... 1Mina olen hea karjane. Hea karjane annab oma elu lammaste eest. Jn 10: 1-11
I remember, many years ago now, I was going along a road in Castile with some friends, when we noticed something in a field far away which made a deep impression on me at the time and has since often helped me in my prayer. A group of men were hammering some wooden stakes into the ground, which they then used to support netting to form a sheep pen. Then shepherds came along with their sheep and their lambs. They called them by their names and one by one lambs and sheep went into the pen, where they would be all together, safe and sound.
Today, Lord, my thoughts go back specially to those shepherds and their sheepfold, because all of us who are gathered here to converse with you — and many others the world over — we all know that we have been brought into your sheepfold. You yourself have told us so: 'I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me.' You know us well. You know that we wish to hear, to listen ever attentively to your gentle whistling as our Good Shepherd, and to heed it, because 'eternal life is knowing you, who are the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent'.
The image of Christ with his sheep at his right and left means so much to me that I had it depicted in the oratory where I normally celebrate Holy Mass. Elsewhere, as a reminder of God's presence, I have had engraved Jesus' words, cognosco oves meas et cognoscunt me meae (I know my sheep, and my sheep know me), to help us consider constantly that he is at our side, reproaching us, instructing us and teaching us as does a shepherd with his flock (Friends of God, 1).
Christ has given his Church sureness in doctrine and a flow of grace in the sacraments. He has arranged things so that there will always be people to guide and lead us, to remind us constantly of our way. There is an infinite treasure of knowledge available to us: the word of God kept safe by the Church, the grace of Christ administered in the sacraments and also the witness and example of those who live by our side and have known how to build with their good lives a road of faithfulness to God...
The holiness of Christ's Spouse has always been shown — as it can be seen today — by the abundance of good shepherds. But our christian faith, which teaches us to be simple, does not bid us be simple-minded. There are hirelings who keep silent, and there are hirelings who speak with words which are not those of Christ. That is why, if the Lord allows us to be left in the dark even in little things, if we feel that our faith is not firm, we should go to the good shepherd. He enters by the door as of right. He gives his life for others and wants to be in word and behaviour a soul in love. He may be a sinner too, but he trusts always in Christ's forgiveness and mercy (Christ is Passing By, 34).
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"Tõesti, tõesti, ma ütlen teile, mina olen uks lammaste jaoks. Kes iganes läheb sisse minu kaudu, see pääseb ning käib sisse ja välja ning leiab karjamaad... 1Mina olen hea karjane. Hea karjane annab oma elu lammaste eest. Jn 10: 1-11
I remember, many years ago now, I was going along a road in Castile with some friends, when we noticed something in a field far away which made a deep impression on me at the time and has since often helped me in my prayer. A group of men were hammering some wooden stakes into the ground, which they then used to support netting to form a sheep pen. Then shepherds came along with their sheep and their lambs. They called them by their names and one by one lambs and sheep went into the pen, where they would be all together, safe and sound.
Today, Lord, my thoughts go back specially to those shepherds and their sheepfold, because all of us who are gathered here to converse with you — and many others the world over — we all know that we have been brought into your sheepfold. You yourself have told us so: 'I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me.' You know us well. You know that we wish to hear, to listen ever attentively to your gentle whistling as our Good Shepherd, and to heed it, because 'eternal life is knowing you, who are the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent'.
The image of Christ with his sheep at his right and left means so much to me that I had it depicted in the oratory where I normally celebrate Holy Mass. Elsewhere, as a reminder of God's presence, I have had engraved Jesus' words, cognosco oves meas et cognoscunt me meae (I know my sheep, and my sheep know me), to help us consider constantly that he is at our side, reproaching us, instructing us and teaching us as does a shepherd with his flock (Friends of God, 1).
Christ has given his Church sureness in doctrine and a flow of grace in the sacraments. He has arranged things so that there will always be people to guide and lead us, to remind us constantly of our way. There is an infinite treasure of knowledge available to us: the word of God kept safe by the Church, the grace of Christ administered in the sacraments and also the witness and example of those who live by our side and have known how to build with their good lives a road of faithfulness to God...
The holiness of Christ's Spouse has always been shown — as it can be seen today — by the abundance of good shepherds. But our christian faith, which teaches us to be simple, does not bid us be simple-minded. There are hirelings who keep silent, and there are hirelings who speak with words which are not those of Christ. That is why, if the Lord allows us to be left in the dark even in little things, if we feel that our faith is not firm, we should go to the good shepherd. He enters by the door as of right. He gives his life for others and wants to be in word and behaviour a soul in love. He may be a sinner too, but he trusts always in Christ's forgiveness and mercy (Christ is Passing By, 34).
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THE PRAYER OF JESUS
Ja vara hommikul enne valget tõusis Jeesus üles, väljus ning läks tühja paika ja palvetas seal. Ja Siimon ja ta kaaslased ruttasid talle järele ning leidsid ta. Ja nad ütlesid talle: "Kõik otsivad sind!" Mk 1: 35-37
Aga neil päevil sündis, et Jeesus läks mäele palvetama ja veetis kogu öö Jumalat paludes. Ja kui valgeks läks, kutsus ta oma jüngrid enese juurde ja valis nende seast kaksteist, keda ta nimetas ka apostliteks: Lk 6:12-13
it is very important to note carefully what the Messiah did, because he came to show us the path that leads to the Father. With Our Lord we will discover how to give a supernatural dimension to all our actions, even those that seem least important. We will learn to live every moment of our lives with a lively awareness of eternity, and we will understand more deeply man's need for periods of intimate conversation with his God, so as to get to know him, to invoke him, to praise him, to break out into acts of thanksgiving, to listen to him or, quite simply, to be with him.
Many years ago, as I reflected upon Our Lord's way of doing things, I came to the conclusion that the apostolate, of whatever kind it be, must be an overflow of the interior life. This is why the passage which relates how Christ decided to choose the first twelve seems to me to be so natural and at the same time so supernatural. St Luke tells us that before choosing them 'he spent the whole night in prayer'. Think also of the events at Bethany. Before he raises Lazarus from the dead, after having wept over his friend, he lifts his eyes to heaven and says, 'Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer.' This is his message for us: if we wish to help others, if we really wish to encourage them to discover the true meaning of their life on earth, we must base everything on prayer.
There are so many Gospel scenes where Jesus talks to his Father that we cannot stop to consider them all. But I do feel we must pause to consider the intense hours preceding his Passion and Death, when Christ prepares himself to carry out the Sacrifice that will bring us back once more to God's Love. In the intimacy of the Upper Room the Heart of Jesus overflows with love; he turns to the Father in prayer, announces the coming of the Holy Spirit, and encourages his disciples to maintain the fervour of their charity and their faith.
Our Redeemer's mood of fervent recollection continues in the Garden of Gethsemani, as he perceives that his Passion is about to begin, with all its humiliation and suffering close at hand, the harsh Cross on which criminals are hanged and which he has longed for so ardently. 'Father, if it pleases thee, take away this chalice from before me.' And immediately he adds, 'Yet not my will but thine be done.' Later, nailed to the Cross, alone, with his arms opened wide in a gesture of an eternal priest, he continues his dialogue with his Father, 'Into thy hands I commend my spirit.' (Friends of God, 239-240).
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Aga neil päevil sündis, et Jeesus läks mäele palvetama ja veetis kogu öö Jumalat paludes. Ja kui valgeks läks, kutsus ta oma jüngrid enese juurde ja valis nende seast kaksteist, keda ta nimetas ka apostliteks: Lk 6:12-13
it is very important to note carefully what the Messiah did, because he came to show us the path that leads to the Father. With Our Lord we will discover how to give a supernatural dimension to all our actions, even those that seem least important. We will learn to live every moment of our lives with a lively awareness of eternity, and we will understand more deeply man's need for periods of intimate conversation with his God, so as to get to know him, to invoke him, to praise him, to break out into acts of thanksgiving, to listen to him or, quite simply, to be with him.
Many years ago, as I reflected upon Our Lord's way of doing things, I came to the conclusion that the apostolate, of whatever kind it be, must be an overflow of the interior life. This is why the passage which relates how Christ decided to choose the first twelve seems to me to be so natural and at the same time so supernatural. St Luke tells us that before choosing them 'he spent the whole night in prayer'. Think also of the events at Bethany. Before he raises Lazarus from the dead, after having wept over his friend, he lifts his eyes to heaven and says, 'Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer.' This is his message for us: if we wish to help others, if we really wish to encourage them to discover the true meaning of their life on earth, we must base everything on prayer.
There are so many Gospel scenes where Jesus talks to his Father that we cannot stop to consider them all. But I do feel we must pause to consider the intense hours preceding his Passion and Death, when Christ prepares himself to carry out the Sacrifice that will bring us back once more to God's Love. In the intimacy of the Upper Room the Heart of Jesus overflows with love; he turns to the Father in prayer, announces the coming of the Holy Spirit, and encourages his disciples to maintain the fervour of their charity and their faith.
Our Redeemer's mood of fervent recollection continues in the Garden of Gethsemani, as he perceives that his Passion is about to begin, with all its humiliation and suffering close at hand, the harsh Cross on which criminals are hanged and which he has longed for so ardently. 'Father, if it pleases thee, take away this chalice from before me.' And immediately he adds, 'Yet not my will but thine be done.' Later, nailed to the Cross, alone, with his arms opened wide in a gesture of an eternal priest, he continues his dialogue with his Father, 'Into thy hands I commend my spirit.' (Friends of God, 239-240).
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THE PRODIGAL SON
Aga kui ta alles kaugel oli, nägi isa teda ja tal hakkas hale ning ta jooksis ja langes poja kaela ja andis talle suud. Aga poeg ütles isale: "Isa, ma olen pattu teinud taeva vastu ja sinu ees, ma ei ole enam väärt, et mind su pojaks hüütaks!" Ent isa ütles oma sulastele: "Tooge kiiresti kõige kallim kuub ja pange talle selga ja andke talle sõrmus sõrme ja jalatsid jalga ja tooge nuumvasikas, tapke see ja söögem ning olgem rõõmsad, sest see mu poeg oli surnud, ja on jälle saanud elavaks, ta oli kadunud, ja on leitud!" Ja nad hakkasid rõõmsasti pidutsema. Lk 15:20, 24
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and took pity on him; running up, he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him." That's what the sacred text says: he covered him with kisses. Can you put it more humanly than that? Can you describe more graphically the paternal love of God for men?
When God runs toward us, we cannot keep silent, but with St Paul we exclaim: Abba, Pater: "Father, my Father!", for, though he is the creator of the universe, he doesn't mind our not using high-sounding titles, nor worry about our not acknowledging his greatness. He wants us to call him Father; he wants us to savour that word, our souls filling with joy.
Human life is in some way a constant returning to our Father's house. We return through contrition, through the conversion of heart which means a desire to change, a firm decision to improve our life and which, therefore, is expressed in sacrifice and self-giving. We return to our Father's house by means of that sacrament of pardon in which, by confessing our sins, we put on Jesus Christ again and become his brothers, members of God's family.
God is waiting for us, like the father in the parable, with open arms, even though we don't deserve it. It doesn't matter how great our debt is. Just like the prodigal son, all we have to do is open our heart, to be homesick for our Father's house, to wonder at and rejoice in the gift which God makes us of being able to call ourselves his children, of really being his children, even though our response to him has been so poor (Christ is Passing By, 64).
For a Christian, joy is a treasure. Only by offending God do we lose it, because sin is the fruit of selfishness, and selfishness is the root of sadness. Even then, a bit of joy survives under the debris of our soul: the knowledge that neither God nor his Mother can ever forget us. If we repent, if an act of sorrow springs from our heart, if we purify ourselves in the holy sacrament of penance, God comes out to meet and forgive us. Then there can be no sadness whatsoever. Then there is every right "to rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come back to life, was lost and has been found."
These words are taken from the marvellous ending of the parable of the prodigal son, which we shall never tire of meditating (Christ is Passing By, 178).
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"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and took pity on him; running up, he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him." That's what the sacred text says: he covered him with kisses. Can you put it more humanly than that? Can you describe more graphically the paternal love of God for men?When God runs toward us, we cannot keep silent, but with St Paul we exclaim: Abba, Pater: "Father, my Father!", for, though he is the creator of the universe, he doesn't mind our not using high-sounding titles, nor worry about our not acknowledging his greatness. He wants us to call him Father; he wants us to savour that word, our souls filling with joy.
Human life is in some way a constant returning to our Father's house. We return through contrition, through the conversion of heart which means a desire to change, a firm decision to improve our life and which, therefore, is expressed in sacrifice and self-giving. We return to our Father's house by means of that sacrament of pardon in which, by confessing our sins, we put on Jesus Christ again and become his brothers, members of God's family.
God is waiting for us, like the father in the parable, with open arms, even though we don't deserve it. It doesn't matter how great our debt is. Just like the prodigal son, all we have to do is open our heart, to be homesick for our Father's house, to wonder at and rejoice in the gift which God makes us of being able to call ourselves his children, of really being his children, even though our response to him has been so poor (Christ is Passing By, 64).
For a Christian, joy is a treasure. Only by offending God do we lose it, because sin is the fruit of selfishness, and selfishness is the root of sadness. Even then, a bit of joy survives under the debris of our soul: the knowledge that neither God nor his Mother can ever forget us. If we repent, if an act of sorrow springs from our heart, if we purify ourselves in the holy sacrament of penance, God comes out to meet and forgive us. Then there can be no sadness whatsoever. Then there is every right "to rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come back to life, was lost and has been found."
These words are taken from the marvellous ending of the parable of the prodigal son, which we shall never tire of meditating (Christ is Passing By, 178).
BARTIMEUS
Ja nad tulid Jeerikosse. Ja kui Jeesus ja ta jüngrid koos üsna suure rahvahulgaga Jeerikost välja läksid, istus tee ääres pime kerjus Bartimeus, Timeuse poeg. Ja kui see kuulis, et Jeesus Naatsaretlane on seal, hakkas ta karjuma: "Jeesus, Taaveti Poeg, halasta minu peale!" Mk 10:46-47
I recommend you to meditate slowly on the events preceding the miracle, to help you keep this fundamental idea clearly engraved upon your minds: what a world of difference there is between the merciful Heart of Jesus and our own poor hearts! This thought will help you at all times, and especially in the hour of trial and temptation, and also when the time comes to be generous in the little duties you have, or in moments when heroism is called for.
'Many of them rebuked him, telling him to be silent. As people have done to you, when you sensed that Jesus was passing your way. Your heart beat faster and you too began to cry out, prompted by an intimate longing. Then your friends, the need to do the done thing, the easy life, your surroundings, all conspired to tell you: 'Keep quiet, don't cry out. Who are you to be calling Jesus? Don't bother him.'
But poor Bartimaeus would not listen to them. He cried out all the more: 'Son of David, have pity on me.' Our Lord, who had heard him right from the beginning, let him persevere in his prayer. He does the same with you. Jesus hears our cries from the very first, but he waits. He wants us to be convinced that we need him. He wants us to beseech him, to persist, like the blind man waiting by the road from Jericho. .. 'And Jesus stopped, and told them to call him.' Some of the better people in the crowd turned to the blind man and said, 'Take heart. Rise up, he is calling you.' Here you have the Christian vocation! But God does not call only once. Bear in mind that Our Lord is seeking us at every moment: get up, he tells us, put aside your indolence, your easy life, your petty selfishness, your silly little problems. Get up from the ground, where you are lying prostrate and shapeless. Acquire height, weight and volume, and a supernatural outlook.
'Whereupon the man threw away his cloak and leapt to his feet, and so came to him.' He threw aside his cloak! I don't know if you have ever lived through a war, but many years ago I had occasion to visit a battlefield shortly after an engagement. There, strewn all over the ground, were greatcoats, water bottles, haversacks stuffed with family souvenirs, letters, photographs of loved ones... which belonged, moreover, not to the vanquished, but to the victors! All these items had become superfluous in the bid to race forward and leap over the enemy defences. Just as happened to Bartimaeus, as he raced towards Christ.
Never forget that Christ cannot be reached without sacrifice. We have to get rid of everything that gets in the way: greatcoat, haversack, water bottle. You have to do the same in this battle for the glory of God, in this struggle of love and peace by which we are trying to spread Christ's kingdom. In order to serve the Church, the Pope and all souls, you must be ready to give up everything superfluous, to be left without a cloak to shelter you from the bitter cold of night, without your much loved family souvenirs, without water to refresh you. This is the lesson taught us by faith and love. This is the way that we must love Christ.
And now begins a dialogue with God, a marvellous dialogue that moves us and sets our hearts on fire, for you and I are now Bartimaeus. Christ, who is God, begins to speak and asks, Quid tibi vis faciam? 'What do you want me to do for you?' The blind man answers, 'Lord, that I may see.' How utterly logical! How about yourself, can you really see? Haven't you too experienced at times what happened to the blind man of Jericho? I can never forget how, when meditating on this passage many years back, and realising that Jesus was expecting something of me, though I myself did not know what it was, I made up my own aspirations: 'Lord, what is it you want? What are you asking of me'? I had a feeling that he wanted me to take on something new and the cry Rabboni, ut videam, 'Master, that I may see,' moved me to beseech Christ again and again, 'Lord, whatever it is that you wish, let it be done.'
But let us go back to the scene outside Jericho. It is now to you that Christ is speaking. He asks you, 'What is it you want of me?' 'That I may see, Lord, that I may see.' Then Jesus answers, 'Away home with you. Your faith has brought you recovery. And all at once he recovered his sight and followed Jesus on his way.' Following Jesus on his way. You have understood what Our Lord was asking from you and you have decided to accompany him on his way. You are trying to walk in his footsteps, to clothe yourself in Christ's clothing, to be Christ himself: well, your faith, your faith in the light Our Lord is giving you, must be both operative and full of sacrifice. Don't fool yourself. Don't think you are going to find new ways. The faith he demands of us is as I have said. We must keep in step with him, working generously and at the same time uprooting and getting rid of everything that gets in the way (Friends of God 195-198).
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I recommend you to meditate slowly on the events preceding the miracle, to help you keep this fundamental idea clearly engraved upon your minds: what a world of difference there is between the merciful Heart of Jesus and our own poor hearts! This thought will help you at all times, and especially in the hour of trial and temptation, and also when the time comes to be generous in the little duties you have, or in moments when heroism is called for.
'Many of them rebuked him, telling him to be silent. As people have done to you, when you sensed that Jesus was passing your way. Your heart beat faster and you too began to cry out, prompted by an intimate longing. Then your friends, the need to do the done thing, the easy life, your surroundings, all conspired to tell you: 'Keep quiet, don't cry out. Who are you to be calling Jesus? Don't bother him.'
But poor Bartimaeus would not listen to them. He cried out all the more: 'Son of David, have pity on me.' Our Lord, who had heard him right from the beginning, let him persevere in his prayer. He does the same with you. Jesus hears our cries from the very first, but he waits. He wants us to be convinced that we need him. He wants us to beseech him, to persist, like the blind man waiting by the road from Jericho. .. 'And Jesus stopped, and told them to call him.' Some of the better people in the crowd turned to the blind man and said, 'Take heart. Rise up, he is calling you.' Here you have the Christian vocation! But God does not call only once. Bear in mind that Our Lord is seeking us at every moment: get up, he tells us, put aside your indolence, your easy life, your petty selfishness, your silly little problems. Get up from the ground, where you are lying prostrate and shapeless. Acquire height, weight and volume, and a supernatural outlook.
'Whereupon the man threw away his cloak and leapt to his feet, and so came to him.' He threw aside his cloak! I don't know if you have ever lived through a war, but many years ago I had occasion to visit a battlefield shortly after an engagement. There, strewn all over the ground, were greatcoats, water bottles, haversacks stuffed with family souvenirs, letters, photographs of loved ones... which belonged, moreover, not to the vanquished, but to the victors! All these items had become superfluous in the bid to race forward and leap over the enemy defences. Just as happened to Bartimaeus, as he raced towards Christ.
Never forget that Christ cannot be reached without sacrifice. We have to get rid of everything that gets in the way: greatcoat, haversack, water bottle. You have to do the same in this battle for the glory of God, in this struggle of love and peace by which we are trying to spread Christ's kingdom. In order to serve the Church, the Pope and all souls, you must be ready to give up everything superfluous, to be left without a cloak to shelter you from the bitter cold of night, without your much loved family souvenirs, without water to refresh you. This is the lesson taught us by faith and love. This is the way that we must love Christ.
And now begins a dialogue with God, a marvellous dialogue that moves us and sets our hearts on fire, for you and I are now Bartimaeus. Christ, who is God, begins to speak and asks, Quid tibi vis faciam? 'What do you want me to do for you?' The blind man answers, 'Lord, that I may see.' How utterly logical! How about yourself, can you really see? Haven't you too experienced at times what happened to the blind man of Jericho? I can never forget how, when meditating on this passage many years back, and realising that Jesus was expecting something of me, though I myself did not know what it was, I made up my own aspirations: 'Lord, what is it you want? What are you asking of me'? I had a feeling that he wanted me to take on something new and the cry Rabboni, ut videam, 'Master, that I may see,' moved me to beseech Christ again and again, 'Lord, whatever it is that you wish, let it be done.'
But let us go back to the scene outside Jericho. It is now to you that Christ is speaking. He asks you, 'What is it you want of me?' 'That I may see, Lord, that I may see.' Then Jesus answers, 'Away home with you. Your faith has brought you recovery. And all at once he recovered his sight and followed Jesus on his way.' Following Jesus on his way. You have understood what Our Lord was asking from you and you have decided to accompany him on his way. You are trying to walk in his footsteps, to clothe yourself in Christ's clothing, to be Christ himself: well, your faith, your faith in the light Our Lord is giving you, must be both operative and full of sacrifice. Don't fool yourself. Don't think you are going to find new ways. The faith he demands of us is as I have said. We must keep in step with him, working generously and at the same time uprooting and getting rid of everything that gets in the way (Friends of God 195-198).
THE NEW COMMANDMENT
Aga enne paasapühi, kui Jeesus teadis, et tema tund on tulnud minna sellest maailmast ära Isa juurde, siis tema, kes oli armastanud omi selles maailmas, armastas neid lõpuni. Jn 13:1
The reader of this verse from St John's Gospel is brought to understand that a great event is about to take place. The introduction, full of tender affection, is similar to that which we find in St Luke: "I have earnestly desired," says our Lord, "to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. (Lc 22:15)." (Christ is Passing By, 83).
Now it is the Last Supper. Christ has prepared everything to bid farewell to his disciples, while they, for the umpteenth time, have become embroiled in an argument about which one of the chosen group is to be considered the greatest. Jesus then 'rising from supper, laid his garments aside, took a towel and put it about him. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of his disciples, wiping them with the towel that girded him.'
Once again he preaches by example, by his deeds. In the presence of the disciples, who are arguing out of pride and vanity, Jesus bows down and gladly carries out the task of a servant. Afterwards, when he returns to the table, he explains to them: 'Do you understand what it is I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and you are right, it is what I am. Why then, if I have washed your feet, I who am the Master and the Lord, you in your turn ought to wash each other's feet.' This tactfulness of Our Lord moves me deeply. He does not say: 'If I do this, how much more ought you to?' He puts himself at their level, and he lovingly chides those men for their lack of generosity.
As he did with the first twelve, so also, with us, Our Lord can and does whisper in our ear, time and again, exemplum dedi vobis, I have given you an example of humility. I have become a slave, so that you too may learn to serve all men with a meek and humble heart (Friends of God, 103).
The time of his Passion is drawing close and he is surrounded by those he loves. The fire in the Heart of Christ bursts into flame in a way no words can express and he confides in them, 'I give you a new commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.'...
Lord, why do you call it a new commandment? As we have just heard, it was already laid down in the Old Testament that we should love our neighbour. You will remember also that, when Jesus had scarcely begun his public life, he broadened the scope of this law with divine generosity: 'You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I tell you, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute and slander you.'
But, Lord, please allow us to insist. Why do you still call this precept new? That night, just a few hours before offering yourself in sacrifice on the Cross, during your intimate conversation with the men who — in spite of being weak and wretched, like ourselves — accompanied you to Jerusalem, you revealed to us the standard for our charity, one we could never have suspected: 'as I have loved you'. How well the apostles must have understood you, having witnessed for themselves your unbounded love.
The Master's message and example are clear and precise. He confirmed his teaching with deeds.
Our Lord Jesus Christ became incarnate and took on our nature to reveal himself to mankind as the model of all virtues, 'Learn from me,' he says to us, 'for I am meek and humble of heart.'
Later, when he explains to the Apostles the mark by which they will be known as Christians, he does not say, 'Because you are humble.' He is purity most sublime, the immaculate Lamb. Nothing could stain his perfect, unspotted holiness. Yet he does not say, 'You will be known as my disciples because you are chaste and pure.'
He passed through this world completely detached from earthly goods. Though he is the Creator and Lord of the whole universe, he did not even have a place to lay his head. Nevertheless he does not say, 'They will know that you are mine because you are not attached to wealth.' Before setting out to preach the Gospel he spent forty days and forty nights in the desert keeping a strict fast. But, once again, he does not tell his disciples, 'Men will recognise you as God's servants because you are not gluttons or drunkards.'
No, the distinguishing mark of the apostles and of true Christians in every age is, as we have heard: 'By this', precisely by this, 'shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.' (Friends of God, 222 – 224).
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The reader of this verse from St John's Gospel is brought to understand that a great event is about to take place. The introduction, full of tender affection, is similar to that which we find in St Luke: "I have earnestly desired," says our Lord, "to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. (Lc 22:15)." (Christ is Passing By, 83).
Now it is the Last Supper. Christ has prepared everything to bid farewell to his disciples, while they, for the umpteenth time, have become embroiled in an argument about which one of the chosen group is to be considered the greatest. Jesus then 'rising from supper, laid his garments aside, took a towel and put it about him. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of his disciples, wiping them with the towel that girded him.'
Once again he preaches by example, by his deeds. In the presence of the disciples, who are arguing out of pride and vanity, Jesus bows down and gladly carries out the task of a servant. Afterwards, when he returns to the table, he explains to them: 'Do you understand what it is I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and you are right, it is what I am. Why then, if I have washed your feet, I who am the Master and the Lord, you in your turn ought to wash each other's feet.' This tactfulness of Our Lord moves me deeply. He does not say: 'If I do this, how much more ought you to?' He puts himself at their level, and he lovingly chides those men for their lack of generosity.
As he did with the first twelve, so also, with us, Our Lord can and does whisper in our ear, time and again, exemplum dedi vobis, I have given you an example of humility. I have become a slave, so that you too may learn to serve all men with a meek and humble heart (Friends of God, 103).
The time of his Passion is drawing close and he is surrounded by those he loves. The fire in the Heart of Christ bursts into flame in a way no words can express and he confides in them, 'I give you a new commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.'...
Lord, why do you call it a new commandment? As we have just heard, it was already laid down in the Old Testament that we should love our neighbour. You will remember also that, when Jesus had scarcely begun his public life, he broadened the scope of this law with divine generosity: 'You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I tell you, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute and slander you.'
But, Lord, please allow us to insist. Why do you still call this precept new? That night, just a few hours before offering yourself in sacrifice on the Cross, during your intimate conversation with the men who — in spite of being weak and wretched, like ourselves — accompanied you to Jerusalem, you revealed to us the standard for our charity, one we could never have suspected: 'as I have loved you'. How well the apostles must have understood you, having witnessed for themselves your unbounded love.
The Master's message and example are clear and precise. He confirmed his teaching with deeds.
Our Lord Jesus Christ became incarnate and took on our nature to reveal himself to mankind as the model of all virtues, 'Learn from me,' he says to us, 'for I am meek and humble of heart.'
Later, when he explains to the Apostles the mark by which they will be known as Christians, he does not say, 'Because you are humble.' He is purity most sublime, the immaculate Lamb. Nothing could stain his perfect, unspotted holiness. Yet he does not say, 'You will be known as my disciples because you are chaste and pure.'
He passed through this world completely detached from earthly goods. Though he is the Creator and Lord of the whole universe, he did not even have a place to lay his head. Nevertheless he does not say, 'They will know that you are mine because you are not attached to wealth.' Before setting out to preach the Gospel he spent forty days and forty nights in the desert keeping a strict fast. But, once again, he does not tell his disciples, 'Men will recognise you as God's servants because you are not gluttons or drunkards.'
No, the distinguishing mark of the apostles and of true Christians in every age is, as we have heard: 'By this', precisely by this, 'shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.' (Friends of God, 222 – 224).
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