At the outset of His public ministry Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God and announced that the powers of the age to come were already active in the present age (Lk 7.18-22). His words and mighty works were performed “to produce repentance as the response to His call, a call to an inward change of mind and heart which would result in concrete changes in one’s life, a call to follow Him and accept His
The solemnities of Great Week are preceded by a two-day festival commemorating the resurrection of Lazaros and the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem. These two events punctuate Christ’s ministry in a most dramatic way (Jn 11:1 – 12:19). By causing the final eruption of the unrelenting hostility of His enemies, who had been plotting to kill him, these two events precipitate Christ’s death. At the very same time, however, these same events emphasize His
The Parousia In the days and hours before His passion, Jesus spoke to His disciples about the Parousia, i.e., His second glorious coming. He invites us as well at the beginning of Great Week to approach the mystery and ponder its meaning and significance for our own life and the life of the world. In the Church we recognize that eternal life has penetrated our finitude. However, we also know that the full realization and
The first part of Great Week presents us with an array of themes based chiefly on the last days of Jesus’ earthly life. The story of the Passion, as told and recorded by the Evangelists, is preceded by a series of incidents located in Jerusalem and a collection of parables, sayings and discourses centered on Jesus’ divine sonship, the kingdom of God, the Parousia, and Jesus’ castigation of the hypocrisy and dark motives of the
Courage and Humility Defeat Death Isidore said: ‘The one who is faithful to God ought not to trust in God’s own faithfulness: nor should the one who sins against God despair of God’s mercy. In the heart of both are hope and fear side by side: hope of forgiveness which inspires courage, and fear of punishment which rouses humility. ‘It is necessary that the penitent never feel secure with regard to their sin, because such
Fresh for the New Day The life of the body is one of flux and change. The human being cannot exist except in ceaseless motion like the flow of a river. To relax tension we have sleep. When we wake up, the motion starts up again. Neither of the two states lasts very long. But it is thanks to their alternation that we are refreshed. A constant tension would provoke a collapse: a continuing relaxation
A Flood of Alcohol When the ground has been watered enough it produces good grain abundance. If, on the other hand, it is sodden through a flood, it sprouts only thorns and thistles. It is the same with the ground of our soul. If we use wine with frugality, alcohol helps the soul to make what the Holy Spirit has sown in it grow luxuriantly. Instead, a bout of unrestrained drinking makes the ground of
Sister Flesh and Brother Wine Many people eat plenty and grow fat on it. Others abstain from some kinds of food in order to practice asceticism, and condemn those who eat. Put shortly, they have only hazy ideas why they should eat or why they should abstain. We, on the other hand, when we fast, give up wine and meat, not because we detest them, as though using them were a crime, but because we
The Stomach’s Hypocrisy I doubt if anyone will achieve freedom from gluttony this side of the grave. Gluttony is the hypocrisy of the stomach which complains of being empty when it is well fed, and bellows that it is hungry when it is full almost to bursting. If a person swallows too much food, he is inviting impure thoughts. If he mortifies the stomach, he is creating pure thoughts. Often a lion if it is
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