St. John Chrysostom, Sower of the Word through His Golden Mouth

 The Gospel Reading of the Feast of St. John Chrysostom (Mark 4:1-10, 13-20) is about Jesus’ parable of the sower. In this parable, Jesus speaks of himself as the sower who goes to various places and sow seeds of faith – the Word.

The parable reflects Jesus speaking of the Gospel (the Good News) in places in Galilee and in Judea, through his public ministry, following his 40-day-and-night fasting in the wilderness of the Judean desert, upon his Baptism. The Word in his Gospel on salvation and redemption to the Kingdom of God is the seed sown by Jesus to the hearts of people who heard him. Some received this seed of faith well while others did not.  Those who received it and let their faith grow out of it followed Jesus as his disciples all the way, though not all of those who received the Word and became followers made their way with him to the Cross.

In this parable, Jesus puts four types of receivers of his Word: those who do not take the Word in and let it be wasted (being like a path), those who may receive the Word but cannot keep it and easily lose it by apostatizing when facing tribulation or persecution, because they do not let it grow its roots in their hearts (being like rocky ground), those who hear the Word but with hearts plagued with worldly anxieties, temptations of riches, and the unsatiable cravings, intrude and choke the Word, resulting in no fruition (being like thorny ground), those who not just hear but listen to the Word with their eager hearts bear manifold fruits of faith (being like the rich soil). And in his sermon (44:3-7), St. John Chrysostom preached on this parable, encouraging his audience to be like the rich soil – being eager listener to the Word sown first by Christ himself then by evangelizing apostles.

St. John Chrysostom is, certainly, one of those who were on apostolic mission to “sow” the Word. And, he was known for his eloquence in preaching – being effective “sower” of the Word. For this reason, he was called, “Χρυσόστομος” (Khrusostomos), which means “golden-mouthed” (χρυσός /khrusos, “gold”) +‎ στόμα/stoma, “mouth”).

In his sermon 44, St. John Chrysostom emphasized on our need to make ourselves better receiver of the Word. So he calls us to eliminate any obstacles for the Word to be received and to grow in us, saying:

Let us fortify ourselves on all sides, regarding His instructions, and striking our roots deep, and cleansing ourselves from all worldly things. But if we do the one, neglecting the other, we shall be nothing bettered; for though we perish not in one way, yet shall we in some other. For what signifies our not being ruined by riches, if we are by indolence: or not by indolence, if we are by softness. For so the husbandman, whether this way or that way he lose his crop, equally bewails himself. Let us not then soothe ourselves upon our not perishing in all these ways, but let it be our grief, in whichever way we are perishing.

And let us burn up the thorns, for they choke the word. And this is known to those rich men, who not for these matters alone, but for others also prove unprofitable. For having become slaves and captives of their pleasures, they are useless even for civil affairs, and if for them, much more for those of Heaven. Yea, and in two ways hereby our thoughts are corrupted; both by the luxury, and by the anxiety too. For either of these by itself were enough to overwhelm the bark; but when even both concur, imagine how high the billow swells.

 And St. John Chrysostom concludes his sermon 44 with these words:

Let us flee luxury, let us study moderation, that we may both enjoy health of body, and having delivered our soul from all infirmity, may attain unto the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might forever and ever. Amen.

In light of the First Reading (Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13), the Word sown first by Christ and then by preachers, like St. John Chrysostom, is a grace. And as we receive it and let it transform us, we are to build up the Body of Christ, attaining the unity of faith.

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Its Christological and Soteriological Significance

9 months from the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (December 8) is the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8). Thus, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a natural sequence to the Immaculate Conception.

Based on Bl. John Duns Scotus’ logically sound argument on Mary being preserved from a stain of the Original Sin for the universal primacy of Christ in his Ordinatio III in Lectura in Librum Tertium Sententiarum, Vol. XX. Pope Bl. Pius IX issued the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception on the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ineffabilis Deus (1954). In its paragraph 1, Pope Bl. Pius IX wrote:

This he decreed in order that man who, contrary to the plan of Divine Mercy had been led into sin by the cunning malice of Satan, should not perish; and in order that what had been lost in the first Adam would be gloriously restored in the Second Adam. From the very beginning, and before time began, the eternal Father chose and prepared for his only-begotten Son a Mother in whom the Son of God would become incarnate and from whom, in the blessed fullness of time, he would be born into this world. Above all creatures did God so loved her that truly in her was the Father well pleased with singular delight. Therefore, far above all the angels and all the saints so wondrously did God endow her with the abundance of all heavenly gifts poured from the treasury of his divinity that this mother, ever absolutely free of all stain of sin, all fair and perfect, would possess that fullness of holy innocence and sanctity than which, under God, one cannot even imagine anything greater, and which, outside of God, no mind can succeed in comprehending fully.

In the above excerpt from Ineffabilis Deus, Pope Bl. Pius IX explains that God the Father had chosen Mary to be the mother of His Son in sending him to us incarnated in the human flesh of Jesus to let him dwell among us (John 1:1, 14), even before time began. Thus, with her Immaculate Conception, as planned by God the Father before the Creation, it is evident that Mary was chosen to collaborate the salvation and the redemption through the Son of God, the Christ, who pre-existed and was predestined to be sent also as the head of the Church (Colossians 1:15-18). Thus, Mary was conceived without any influence of the Original Sin, as the Immaculate Conception and born of Anna in the fullness of time, as described in Protoevengelium of James, in the context of the primacy of Christ, who comes as the Second (New) Adam (Colossians 1:15-20). Therefore, the Immaculate Conception and birth of Mary, the Blessed Virgin, is for the coming of Christ as the Second (New) Adam, to serve as the Second (New) Eve, in order to reverse degenerating effects of the Original Sin. And this is to fulfill God’s prophesy against Satan in Eden:

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel (Genesis 3:15).

The firstborn among the offspring of the woman is Jesus the Christ, the firstfruit of Mary’s womb, and we, the follower of Christ as his disciples, are among the offspring of Mary the woman, for she is not only the Mother of Christ but also our mother, as well (John 19:26-27). Therefore, we are, as the offspring of Mary, the Second (New) Eve, we fight the offspring of Satan and his offspring (i.e. Ephesians 6:10-17; 2 Corinthians 2:8-11; 1 Peter 5:8-10; cf. Revelation 11:19-19:21) until Christ returns and destroys Satan (Revelation 20:7-10).

Because it is not written how Mary was conceived and born in the canonical scriptures, those who subscribe to the doctrine of sola scriptura may find it uneasy to believe that Mary was conceived immaculately without any trace of the Original Sin and to celebrate her birth as a feast – although these sequential events of Mary are in the context of the salvific and redemptive nature of the primacy of Christ. Given that the inexhaustible truth of the Christ cannot be contained in the canonical scriptures (i.e. John 21:25), it is necessary to consult sources and traditions other than what is written in the canonical scriptures for a better picture of Christ, especially in reference to his relation to Mary, his mother, who has uniquely contributed to God’s scheme of salvation and redemption of the offspring of Adam and Eve in His protoevengelium (Genesis 3:15).  Mary’s fiat through these words, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word”(Luke 1:38) at the time of conceiving the incarnated Christ in her womb, has put her in the position of the prime collaborator to God’s salvation and redemption of the humans through His incarnated Son.

Why is it important to know and reflect the conception and the birth of Mary the Blessed Virgin, who gave birth the incarnated Christ and raised him as his mother with her loving husband, Joseph? It is because we can better understand Christology and soteriology in connection to the life span of Mary, from her Immaculate Conception to the heavenly Queenship upon her Assumption.  Because Mary is the Immaculate Conception, being preserved from any effect of the Original Sin for being full of grace (Luke 1:28, 30), the incarnation of God the Theos-Logos (John 1:1, 14) took place during the Annunciation  by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26-38). The human flesh for the incarnation of Christ must be preserved from any effect of the Original Sin, because he is the ultimate unblemished Paschal Lamb worthy of the perfect קרבן פסח (Korban Pesach) (Exodus 12:1-14). So John the Baptist called Jesus the incarnated Christ, “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”( Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi)(John 1:29).

If you celebrate Christmas, the Nativity of the Lord, then, it is natural to celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is the mother of the Lord, as called by Elizabeth (Luke 1:43), and as proclaimed at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD. For the Nativity of the Lord is a pivotal point of the salvation history, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a clear sign for the protoevangelium prophesy of God on the Second (New) Adam through the Second (New) Eve in Genesis 3:15 to be fulfilled.

Zechariah, in his Benedictus, metaphorically viewed the birth of Christ, the Second (New) Adam, as sunrise to bring the light of salvation (Luke 1:78-79; cf. Isaiah 9:1-2; cf. Malachi 3:20/4:2). Then, the Immaculate Conception and the birth of Mary and the Annunciation, all of these events of Mary were predawn work of God for Christ’s salvific and redemptive primacy.

Mary was conceived free from any effect of the Original Sin, as Bl. John Dunc Scotus argued and as Pope Bl. Pius IX promulgated.  Then, she was born of Anna, whose husband was Joachim, as described in Protoevangelium of James (1-5). Not just because there is nothing written about Mary’s conception and birth in the canonical scriptures but because she came into being for the primacy of her Son, the Christ, the scripture readings of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Micah 5:1-4a or Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 1:1-16,18-23) are all about her Son, the Christ. None of these reading touches on Mary’s birth.

In the First Reading of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Micah 5:1-4a), foreseeing the seize of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, Micah prophesized the coming of the Davidic Messiah-King after the dark period of  the destruction of Jerusalem, shedding light into the post-exilic hope.

You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, rom ancient times. Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, and the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel (Micah 5:1-2).

Though the Israelites were to be handed over to the Babylonians (Micah 5:2a) for sinning against God (Micah 1:1-16), God was not going to leave them in abandonment but save them by sending His Son as the Davidic King born in Bethlehem.

The above prophecy of the coming of the Davidic Messianic King also echoes God’s words to Nathan for David (2 Samuel 7:10-16; 1 Chronicles 17:9-14).

In the Gospel Reading (Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23), we see the Davidic lineage of Jesus, who was born of Mary, whose husband was Joseph of the Davidic lineage, called as son of David by Gabriel (Matthew 1:20).

The Micah’s prophecy of the coming of the Davidic Messianic King’s birth in Bethlehem-Ephrathah was fulfilled when Mary gave birth to the incarnated Christ in Bethlehem (Luke 2:7), as God had predestined her to be the Immaculate Conception, and so she was born free of any effect of the Original Sin as the daughter of Anna and Joachim.

As Isaac was so to Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 18:9-15, 21:1-7),  as Samuel was so to Elkanah and Hanna (1 Samuel 1:1-20), and John the Baptist was so to Zechariah an Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-25, 41,57-60), Mary was very special to Joachim and Anna, because God sent her in response to the grieving cries of this righteous couple for having Joachim’s offering rejected by Rubim, a priest,  for being childless (Protoeveangelium of James, 1).

And this is how the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is written in Protoevangelium of James, 5:

And her months were fulfilled, and in the ninth month Anna brought forth. And she said to the midwife: What have I brought forth? And she said: A girl. And said Anna: My soul has been magnified this day. And she laid her down. And the days having been fulfilled, Anna was purified, and gave the breast to the child, and called her name Mary.

Upon her birth, Mary was consecrated and offered to God to serve His will, raised in the Temple from age 3 (Protoevangelium of James, 6-8), and her marriage  to Joseph of the Davidic lineage, was arranged by the temple priests according to a sign from God (ibid. 9).

The optional First Reading (Romans 8:28-30) reflects God’s will for those who love Him (Romans 8:28), and it has made us predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son (Romans 8:29), resulting in justification and glorification (Romans 8:30). For this, God sent His only begotten Son through Mary, who was predestined to be conceived without any trace of the Original Sin for having special full grace (Luke 1:28, 30), and who has consented to be the mother of the Son of the Most High with her fiat (Luke 1:38).

Because the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived and born in the perfect state of grace, she is free of any effect of the Original Sin. This made her suitable for the incarnation of the Theos-Logos (John 1:1) in the unblemished human flesh in her womb and give birth to him. So he dwells among us, in flesh (John 1:14) and in the Holy Spirit (John 14:18, 28), and he makes himself available as the living bread of life (John 6:51) in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in order for us to be conformed to his likeliness, as God wills (Romans 8:28). Therefore, the Immaculate Conception and the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary are also for us to be justified in the likeliness of the incarnated Christ, her Son, so that God is glorified.

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, sequence to her Immaculate Conception, is a significant event in God’s salvific and redemptive scheme. Mary’s existence is totally for her Son and his primacy. Therefore, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a point of our reflection on how Mary’s role is for us to be justified, saved, and redeemed, for God’s glory.

St. Monica, the Mother of St. Augustine: Mother’s Love to Let Christ Raise Her Son from the Dead in Sin to Life in Christ

When you think of or reflect on St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine of Hippo, what are some words that come to your mind about her?

Perhaps, “faithfulness”, “patience”, “hopeful”, and “loving”, just to list a few.      

Monica’s life was really of self-giving love, ἀγάπη (agape), which enables her to be patient ,μακροθυμεῖ (macrothumei), in a way to endure bearing suffering for the sake of loving another person (1 Corinthians 13:4). And the direct beneficiaries of Monica’s agape were Patricius, her husband, and Augustine, her son.

Patricius was pagan and known for his temper and unchaste tendency. Monica’s marriage to him was arranged. He sure was not an ideal husband (i.e. Ephesians 5:25-33), as he was rather abusive to her, and so was his mother, Monica’s mother-in-law.  In such an extremely stressful marriage, what kept Monica in peace was her steadfast faith in Christ. As faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:9), she was always filled with this divine Spirit. Because of this, Monica did not argue and fight with her husband and mother-in-law. Instead, she persistently responded to her husband’s flaring temper and her mother-in-law’s bullies with love. Because she found the source of love in God, her love for the husband and the mother-in-law remained inexhaustible. Eventually, both of them had their hearts converted to Christ and found peace not only in themselves but in their relationship with God and Monica. It was through Monica’s unwavering love, which enabled her to forgive their offenses, expressed through her unceasing prayer and patience.

Monica had another “headache” in her life, and it was about her oldest son, Augustine. This first-born son of Monica and Patricius drifted away from a virtuous life style that Monica desired. In the meantime, she became a widow, and Augustine went away to Carthage for his formal education in rhetoric and to Rome to teach.  Upon her husband’s death, Monica’s fear of losing Augustine must have been aggravated, as he went away not only from her physically but in terms of the faith that she shared with. As his mother, Monica wanted to make sure that Augustine’s soul would not end up with damnation for his libertine life with a concubine. Monica was desperate to fix her first-born son’s life, as he continue to live a life of sin and followed the Manichaean cult, which divinized satisfying sexual lust. Out of desperation, she sought St. Ambrose in Milan for his advice on“fixing” Augustine. To this, Ambrose advised her, as recalled by St. Augustine in his autobiography, “Confession”, chapter 12:

Let him alone a while. Only pray God for him, he will of himself by reading find what that error is, and how great its impiety.

Ambrose’s wise advice was not to mesh herself into the messy life of Augustine to “fix” him. Rather it was best to detach herself from him so that he would be alone with God, letting Him work on him in order to let him figure out his way out of vice and to God. Again, Monica had to distance herself from her beloved son for the sake of loving him. But, Ambrose sent her with these words, as Augustine recalled in “Confession” chapter 12:

Go thy ways and God bless thee, for it is not possible that the son of these tears should perish.

For Monica, Augustine was the son of many tears. And so many tears of Monica poured out for him because she had to endure more suffering for her beloved son, Augustine. To this, wise bishop of Milan, St. Ambrose, sent St. Monica away from St. Augustine with the above words of hope.

The Ambrose’s words of hope for Monica reflect these words of Jesus on the widow who fought the insolent judge with her perpetual pleas:

Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? (Luke 18:7-8).

The Gospel Reading of the Memorial Feast of St. Monica (Luke 7:11-17) is about Jesus raising the only son of the widow from the dead as he was moved by compassion, upon seeing her tears. There is a juxtaposition of St. Monica’s tears on her first-born son, St. Augustine, to the tears of the widow, whose only son died. St. Monica cried as she found her beloved son, St. Augustine, dead to sin and heresy. She tried to bring him back to life in Christ. But, St. Ambrose advised her that it was not her to “raise” her son from his death to sin but Christ to do so. By distancing her from her “dead” son, St. Monica let Christ “raise” him to life of faith.

The First Reading (Ecclesiastics 26:1-4,13-16) reflects St. Monica’s marriage to Patricius. He was blessed to have a gracious wife, St. Monica, as her gift of love transformed him to a new life in Christ through conversion.

St. Monica's steadfast agape won the souls of her husband, Patricius, and her mother-in-law. But did her agape save her first-born son, St. Augustine, from the grave danger of condemnation for his life of sin and heresy?  No, it was Christ, who saved St. Augustine by raising him, who was once dead to sin, to life in Christ. But it was St. Monica's love, expressed in many tears, that moved Christ out of compassion to save St. Augustine,

St. Monica inspires us to win our battles against wickedness and sin with steadfast agape (1 Corinthians 13:8), which is the superior factor in its integration with faith and hope (1 Corinthians 13:13). For this, we also need to know when to detach ourselves from an object of our love, as St. Ambrose advised St. Monica.

St. Bartholomew - Skeptical but Come to Believe Thanks to St. Philip

 August 24 is the Feast of St. Bartholomew.

Bartholomew or Nathaniel, some biblical scholars continue to debate if they are the same person or not. If you want to join this debate, you can throw yourself into a graduate program in biblical theology and earn a Ph.D. to settle this debate and send me a copy of your dissertation. But here, we believe that Bartholomew and Nathaniel are identical.

Bartholomew is known as one of the twelve disciples to be named (Matthew 10:3//Mark 3:18//Luke 6:14). And he is also one of the disciples, who witnessed the Ascension of the Lord, and the original member of the ecclesia to be born in Jerusalem, together with Mary, the Mother of the Lord (Acts 1;13). However, the name “Bartholomew” is not found in John’s Gospel. Instead, in John’s Gospel, he is mentioned as “Nathaniel”, as mentioned in the Gospel Reading of the Feast of Bartholomew (John 1:45-51). The Gospel Reading describes how Nathaniel (Bartholomew) became one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.

It was shortly after Jesus called Philip to follow him (John 1:43) that Philipp told Nathaniel,” We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth”(John 1:45). The one whom Moses wrote about in the Torah (Law, Pentateuch) (e.g. Genesis 3:15; Numbers 21:9;Deuteronomy 18:15) and also the prophets spoke about (e.g. Isaiah 7;14; 9:6;40:10, 11; 53:1-12; Ezekiel 34:23; Daniel 9:24; Micah 5:2; Malachi 3:20) refers to Christ (Messiah). These words of Philip to Nathaniel is like Andrew’s words to his brother, Simon (Peter), “We have found the Messiah”(John 1:41).

Nathaniel, however, did not show any excitement to Philip’s words on finding the Messiah. Instead, he responded with his skepticism, saying, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”(John 1:46a). This indicates that Nathaniel just could not think that Messiah would be found in Nazareth. He must have thought that the Messiah mentioned in the Torah (the Books of the Law) and the Neviim (the Books of the Prophets) would be found in Jerusalem as a Davidic king to liberate the Israelites from the hands of Caesar. And he thought that Nazareth had “nothing” to do with David and his royal line, perhaps, not even being aware of Joseph’s Davidic lineage (i.e. Matthew 1:6-16, 20).

To Nathaniel’s doubtfulness about a possibility to find the Messiah in Nazareth, Philip did not waste time to argue but simply invited him to see the Messiah, saying, “Come and see”(John 1:46b). So, Nathaniel went with Philipp to see the Messiah.

A good thing that Nathaniel did not walk away from the Philip’s invitation to see the Messiah. Though skeptical about what Philip said, Nathaniel must have been somewhat intrigued what if Philip had met the Messiah.

And Nathaniel’s encounter (John 1:47-51) turned out to be like the Samaritan woman’s meeting with Jesus by the Jacob’s Well (John 4:4-30), coming to believe in the Messiah for realizing his insights on him, though having not met before.

As Nathaniel was coming toward him, accompanied by Philip, Jesus said to Nathaniel, “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him”(John 1:47). And this statement of Jesus is like his way to respond Nathaniel’s skepticism on him with a bit of humorous sarcasm, to mean, “Here comes How a true descendant of Jacob, whom God called Israel (Genesis 35:10), better than Jacob, who deceived his father, Isaac, cheating on the birthright of his brother, Esau (Genesis 27:1-41)!” Though such a statement is satirical, it is nice to hear, nevertheless.

Nathaniel was obviously impressed by Jesus. So, he uttered, “How do you know me?”(John 1:48a).

So, how did Jesus knew Nathaniel before meeting him? Because of Jesus’ divinity. To make this point, Jesus said, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree”(John 1:48b).

Jesus is God, so he can see without being at the scene in person. And Nathaniel got it right and came to believe now, saying, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel”(John 1:49). To Nathaniel, though he is of Nazareth, given his divine insights, Jesus is the Messiah-King, the Son of God, as written in both the Torah and the Neviim.  He no longer doubted.

Then, Jesus said to Nathaniel:

Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this. Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man (John 1:50-51).

This is like Jesus saying, “Nathaniel, do you need evidence to believe? Yes, I just showed you my evidence of what I can do as the Son of God, seeing you without being in your eyesight physically. But, look, I will show you greater evidence of being the Son of God, presenting you my Kingdom in the New Heaven”.

So, this is reflected in the First Reading (Revelation 21:9b-14), an eschatological view of the consummation of Jesus’ salvific and redemptive ministry in New Jerusalem, the capitol of his heavenly Kingdom. There, there are twelve gates, stationed by twelve angels, where the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, namely, the names of Jacob’s twelve sons, are written (Revelation 21:12), and twelve courses of the foundational stones, in which the names of the twelve apostles of Jesus the Lamb are inscribed (Revelation 21:14).

Remember, Jesus called Nathaniel, “a true Israelite”(John 1:47)? In this, Jesus was implying him as a descendant of one of Jacob’s twelve sons, whose names are found in the New Heaven. And, by coming to believe in him, Nathaniel became one of Jesus’ twelve disciples (John 1:49; cf. Matthew 10:3//Mark 3:18//Luke 6:14) and became one of the twelve apostles upon Pentecost (i.e. Acts 1:13)

We all need to encounter Christ. Otherwise, how else could we become his disciples and be sent as his apostles, as his ambassadors?  Can we follow Christ without meeting him in person? How else can we get to know him to follow him and to do his work? Also, we are all like Bartholomew (Nathaniel), in need of someone like, Philip, to bring us to encounter the Christ in person, and in need of Christ to be ushered into his Kingdom. As we are like Bartholomew, having skeptical moments in life, we are in need of a brother or a sister in Christ, like Philip, to be accompanied to be brought to him. And Jesus has charged us to be like Philip to bring people like Bartholomew from all nations to him so that they may believe in him (i.e. Matthew 28:19) – so that Jesus can call all of us, “Come and see, my Kingdom!”

Santa Rosa de Lima, Virgen - Model for Life of Purity in Christ

We honor and celebrate the life of  Santa Rosa de Lima, Virgen, on August 23, the day after the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 22).

Santa Rosa de Lima (April 20, 1586 – August 24, 1617) is the first Saint of the New World (Americas). She is known for living a life of ascetic austerity in striving for purity, like Mary the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven, while fending off attacks from devil. It was her way to live a life of intimacy with Christ, whom she had drawn closer to since around age 11,  as to be his spiritual bride. For this, Santa Rosa lived a secluded life. However, she was totally committed to caring for the poor in Lima, observing these words of Christ:

Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40).

Paul reminds us in the First Reading of Memoria de Santa Rosa de Lima (2 Corinthians 10:17b-11:2) it is not wise to boast ourselves for our own riches and worldly powers but we are to “boast in the Lord”(2 Corinthians 10:17). What does it mean to “boast in the Lord”? And what does it have to do with Santa Rosa de Lima?

Santa Rosa de Lima hailed from a noble family in Lima, Peru, as her father was a high-ranking Spanish military officer. Having such a father, during the colonial time of Peru, Santa Rosa could enjoy and boast in her privileged life. However, it was what she left behind for the sake of Christ the Lord and to “boast in the Lord”, rather than boasting in her social privilege.

For Santa Rosa de Lima, Christ is her love, and his Kingdom is her treasure, for which she gave up all in her worldly possessions, including her family privilege. And this is well reflected in the Gospel Reading of her Memorial (Matthew 13:44-46) in light of losing worldly possessions as the gaining of Christ in his Kingdom (i.e. Philippians 3:7-9). She also considered loss of worldly pleasure by means of secluded life of ascetic austerity as the gain of her love, Christ, in his Kingdom. Santa Rose must have known even as young as age 11, that her worldly possessions and carnal desires would get in the way to seek Christ’s Kingdom (i.e. Matthew 6:33), and she wanted to live in the Kingdom because she loved Christ above all.  For her, living a consecrated life of purity, remaining virgin, as Christ’s bride, was in her desire. As his bride, living in the Kingdom with him, she can joyfully boast in him, magnifying him, glorifying him in her praising him.

Perhaps, for Santa Rosa de Lima, “boasting in the Lord” is like these words of Mary in her Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55):

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.

The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.

He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.

The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.

He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.

The life of Santa Rosa de Lima itself was Magnificat, glorifying God with joy, and it is her way she “boasted in the Lord”, like Mary. For this, her life was completely in Christ (Philippians 1:21) and in his Kingdom.

As a matter of fact, we, as the Church, must follow the path of Santa Rosa, in order to meet Christ the King, for his return, as his bride, striving for purity (Revelation 19:6-9), “boasting in the Lord”(2 Corinthians 10:17).

The Strengths and the Discipline: The Path of Salvation is Like a Marathon – 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Jesus was asked, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”( Luke 13:23), as he was on his way to Jerusalem.  The person who asked Jesus must have wondered if all people who believe in Jesus would be saved. Given Jesus’ response (Luke 13:24-30), not all will be saved.

Some pseudo-Christians say that all we need to be saved is to accept Jesus as our “personal” savior and believe. The Gospel Reading of the 21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C, Luke 13:22-30, makes it clear that simply believing in Jesus is not sufficient to be saved – though it is a necessary condition.

In response to the question on whether all will be saved (Luke 12:23), right off the bat, Jesus said:

Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough (Luke 13:24).

With these words, Jesus made it clear that only those who are strong enough to enter the Kingdom of God through its narrow door, will be saved.  The “narrow door” is a symbolic metaphor for challenges to endure. In other words, Jesus reminded that the way to salvation – the path to enter the Kingdom – is rather difficult. To make it all the way, it demands the strengths.

Then, Jesus said that it is not just to make it through the difficult path to be saved but also to enter through the “narrow door” before it is permanently locked (Luke 13:25). Those who fail to make it to enter through the “narrow door” on time will be condemned as they will be cut off from Christ – even though they claim their association with him (Luke 13:26-28).

It is not just to make it all the way through the difficult path to the narrow door but to make it before the door is closed by Christ.

Perhaps, salvation can be better understood in juxtaposition to a marathon.

Not all runners who crossed the start line of a marathon can make it all the way to cross the finish line. Furthermore, they must cross the finish line before the marathon organizer closes the course and the finish gate. For example, the time limit to complete the Chicago Marathon is 6 hours and 30 minutes. Even though you make it through its 26.20-mile course, you cannot officially cross the finish line to be recognized as a finisher and receive a medal, if you spend more than 6 hours and 30 minutes. And Jesus’ teaching on salvation by making it through the narrow door before he closes it (Luke 13:24-28) is just like finishing a marathon before its course and finish gate are closed by the organizer.

Just as a marathon race draws competitive runners from many countries, so does the salvation into the Kingdom of God. For this, Jesus describes the cosmopolitan nature of those who are saved – those who make it through the narrow door before its closing, and Jesus hosts dinner to reward the “finishers” of the “salvation marathon” to reward them for their efforts of hard work and commitment in faith (Luke 13:29). Furthermore, Jesus said:

For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last (Luke 13:30).

As a former marathoner myself, I see this statement of Jesus as an important marathon advice: Start slow but strategically increase your pace toward the finish. Some runners who dash out of the start line are likely to run out of stamina in the middle of the course, while those who were behind them are passing them. But what Jesus really meant by the statement is the importance of humility.

Just as undisciplined marathon runners are tempted to sprint off the start line and risk themselves of dropping out for running out of energy, those who lack humility are likely to “show off” in the first place in the world but will be humbled down in the Kingdom. And the necessity of humility for salvation is reiterated in the Gospel Reading of the 22^nd Sunday (Luke 14:1,7-14).

It is not “first come, first served”, in the Kingdom, though it may be a norm in the world. But Jesus also warned that we cannot be “too slow” to make it through the narrow door of the Kingdom (Luke 13:25). So, what is important here is, in addition to the strength (Luke 13:24) is the discipline, as reflected in the Second Reading (Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13), which calls us to endure trials as Children of God. With the discipline, we can overcome a temptation to “show off” and remain humble to keep our pace strategically on the journey. Just as completing a marathon successfully requires the disciplined commitment, including the training, our path of salvation to make it through the narrow door before its closing demands not only the strengths but also the disciplined commitment. So, it is written:

All discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it. So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed (Hebrews 12:11-13).

Those who make it to the Kingdom through its narrow door before its closing are those who have both the strengths and the discipline in their commitment on the “salvation marathon”. And, the peaceful and joyful fruit of the journey (i.e. Hebrew 12:11) are reflected in “the post-marathon celebration dinner” in the Kingdom, brining “successful runners” not just from Israel but from all other nations, hosted by Christ the King, as reflected in the First Reading (Isaiah 66:18-21), also in Jesus’ words in Luke 13:29:

People will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.

Just imagine what it is like to have made it to the grand “post-marathon” dinner hosted by Christ, in his Kingdom. Picture yourself in this “international” reward dinner party upon successful completion of the “salvific marathon”.

Yes, grace is free. But salvation is not free. We must commit ourselves to the “marathon” to the Kingdom and make it through its narrow door just in time before the closing by Christ. For this, we need both the strength and the discipline. And we receive these through the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:7).

By virtue of the Sacrament of Baptism, we received the eligibility to enter the “salvific marathon”, which is actually the exodus journey from this world to the Kingdom. By receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, we actually run this “salvific marathon”. Through the Holy Spirit the power (Acts 1:8), we are strengthened and disciplined (2 Timothy 1:7) to make it all the way through the narrow door to the Kingdom.

Though this “salvific marathon” journey is quite challenging, causing pains and suffering, tempting to drop out, just as in the case of the Exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land of Milk and Honey, God Himself may go ahead of us to lead the way (i.e. Exodus 13:21) and God may also send an angel to guard our journey (i.e. Exodus 23:20) because He rather prefers all of us to be saved – though it may not be the case. And, just as a marathon course is equipped with aid stations where runners can receive replenishments of water, electrolytes, and light food, it is Jesus himself offers his body and blood as the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist for our sustenance through the “salvation marathon”.

Are you on this marathon to be saved in the Kingdom? Have you received the Holy Spirit for the strengths and the discipline? Are you with Christ, who is running ahead to guide you through and gives you the sustenance through his body and blood? And how are you running? Are you keeping your pace with the discipline?

Picture yourself with Paul, who completed this salvation marathon and entered the Kingdom through its narrow door about 2,000 years ago, in light of these words of his:

For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

We shall join Paul and all other Saints with Christ at the post-marathon dinner party in the Kingdom!

The Division of the World Brought by Christ is for His Eternal Peace: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

We were reminded that greed, which stems from our narcissistic insecurity due to a lack of faith, resulting in material attachment, is an obstacle to entering the Kingdom of God through the Gospel Reading of the 18^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C (Luke 12:13-21).  Then, we were warned not to miss the pop-quiz-like unannounced return of Christ due to a lack of vigilance and preparedness in the Gospel Reading of the 19^th Sunday (Luke 12:32-48).

Entering the Kingdom and return of Christ – these themes from the last two Sundays - orient us to eschaton (the end of time). And this Sunday (19^th Sunday, Cycle C) and next Sunday (20^th Sunday, Cycle C), the Gospel Readings (Luke 12:49-53 and Luke 13:22-30) continue to address more eschatological themes, relating to the Last Judgement, which is also known as the General Judgement upon Christ’s return at the eschaton (CCC* 1038-1041), in contrast to Particular Judgement immediately upon our individual death (CCC 1021-1022).

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church* (CCC), saints are those who are declared as perfectly pure, and therefore, set aside (which “holy” (ἅγιος/hagios) means), corresponding to קֹ֫דֶשׁ /kodesh, which means “sanctified” , and חָסִיד/chasid, which means “godly”) from others to be in fully communion with God in heaven (1023-1029, 2683) upon the Particular Judgement (1021-1022). Those who are not judged by Christ as totally pure are either sent to the Purgatory for further purification (1030-1032) or the Hell for condemnation (1033-1037). Then, when he returns in his glory, as foresighted in his Transfiguration (Daniel 7:9-10,13-14; Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9; 2 Peter 1:16-19; Matthew 17:1-9(A)//Mark 9:2-10(B)//Luke 9:28b-36(C)),  both the holy and the wicked will be raised from the dead and subjected to the Last (General) Judgement (1038-1041) to sort who are for the New Heaven (1042-1050) and who are not. So, it is our hope that all the souls in the Purgatory will be completely pure by that time.

With this teaching of the Last Judgement in mind, we need to explore the Scripture Readings of the 20^th Sunday and the 21^st Sunday.

 In the First Reading (Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10), wicked prince of Judah wanted Jeremiah to be killed for his work to turn Judah back to God was annoying to this prince. After the death of King Josiah, who brought faith back to Judah, this last remaining nation of the Israelites was turning away from God, again. To turn Judah back to Him, God sent Jeremiah as His prophet, as Josiah's son, King Zedekiah was corrupt. So deeply steeped into sins with evil, Judah found God’s voice in Jeremiah rather irksome than humbling to repent and convert. So, the wicked prince of Judah wanted to silence Jeremiah.

Jeremiah was persecuted by the leaders of Judah, including its prince and king. But their evil could not prevail. Though he was not killed, Jeremiah suffered greatly to an extent to be juxtaposed to the passion of Christ toward his death.

Jesus, in the Gospel Reading (Luke 12:49-53), reminds us that all the wicked will be condemned completely when he returns to the earth as the judging King. So, Jesus said:

I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! (Luke 12:49).

Though Christ first came to us on earth as the prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6; cf. Luke 1:79; cf. 2:14; 19:38), the Father sent him to prepare us not only for heaven as saints but eventually for the New Heaven and Earth upon his second coming.  As the prince of peace, Jesus gave us the peace that only he can give (John 14:27; 16:33), and for this peace, he suffered, died, and rose from the dead (i.e. John 20:19, 21).

The blazing fire, which Jesus wished to have been set much earlier than his return (Luke 12:49), is the fire of the judgement, which John the Baptist had foretold (Matthew 3:11-12), before Jesus’ Baptism, and it is also the fire that Jesus himself put himself through for us as he went through his passion and death (Luke 12:50; cf. Mark 10:38).  Yes, when he came as the prince of peace, Jesus took the baptism of the judgement fire to himself in place of us. But now Jesus tells us that he has come not only as the prince of peace but also as the judging King to set us to go through the fire of the judgement for his second coming.  As this fire of the judgement is the fire of the Last Judgement to separate those who are pure (Revelation 20:11-15) to bring into the New Heaven and Earth (Revelation 21:1-22:5).

Satan may bring “false peace” with cunningly deceptive concept of “unity through tolerance”.  For this kind of “false peace”, we may find no tension, no conflict, no division. So it can be so convincing to our mind. But, Pope Francis, in his address to the Eucharistic Youth Movement on August 7, 2015, said in terms of a division between “false peace” from Satan and the true peace only from Jesus:

Always seeking peace in the Lord, that peace which Jesus alone can give you. At work, in tasks, the challenge is to find that peace which means that the Lord accompanies you, that the Lord is close. And there is also another challenge: to know how to distinguish the peace of Jesus from another kind of peace which is not of Jesus. Do you understand? This is something that you must learn well, and ask the Lord for the grace to know how to discern true peace from false peace. To discern. This is a challenge. And true peace always comes from Jesus. Sometimes it comes “wrapped” in a cross. But it is Jesus who gives you peace in that trial. It does not always come as a cross, but true peace always comes from Jesus. Instead, the other kind of peace, the superficial kind, that peace which makes you happy, it contents you a little but it is superficial, it comes from the enemy, from the devil, and it makes you happy: “I’m content, I’m not worried about this, I’m at peace...”. But inside, it contains deceit! Here it is necessary to ask for this grace, to know how to distinguish, to know how to recognize which is the peace of Jesus and which is the peace that comes from the enemy, which destroys you. The enemy always destroys: he makes you believe that this is the way and then, in the end, he leaves you on your own. Because remember this: the devil is a poor payer, he never pays well! He always cheats, he’s a swindler! He shows you things dressed up, and you believe that thing is good, that it will give you peace; you go there and in the end you don’t find happiness. To always seek the peace of Jesus: this is a challenge, a challenge which I have had, which I have and which all of you have.

“False peace” may sound soothing.  But it may lead us to destruction and separation from Christ. As reflected in the First Reading (Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10), Jeremiah was persecuted by the wicked leaders of Judah for disturbing “peace”, which was “false peace”(v.4-6). And this “false peace” of Judah, brought by the wicked leaders, eventually let Judah lose Jerusalem and its Temple to the wicked hands of Babylonia.

Paul clearly warns us not to be fooled by “false peace”( 1 Thessalonians 5:3). So, Jesus comes to set his true peace aside from “false peace with a sword of justice (Mark 10:34) to cut and divide good and evil, even into our earthly families (Luke 12:51-53). Given the tone of his warning for what is to come upon his return, Jesus is not tolerant to allow anything impure to the assembly at his heavenly throne in the Kingdom, which is the New Heaven and Earth (Revelation 7:11-17; 21:1-22:5).

Though Christ may return at any time, unannounced, like a pop-quiz, as reflected in the Gospel Reading of the 19^th Sunday (Luke 12:32-48) and also in the 21^st Sunday (Luke 13:22-30), it does not seem to happen now. It means that we have some time to purify before his return or before our death, if his return is to be after that. So, the Second Reading (Hebrews 12:1-4), calls us to strive for our purity now with perseverance like that of a long-distance race runner, with our eyes firmly fixed on Christ. This work on purity is also our way to perfect faith, overcoming our struggles with sin for the sake of Christ’s joy to be shared at his throne.

Through the Second Reading (Hebrews 12:1-4), we see ourselves set aside from the world (i.e. Romans 12:2) and moving toward our true home land of eternity (i.e. Hebrews 10:34) – the New Heaven and Earth beyond the purgatory and heaven.  After all, the division (διαμερισμόν/diamerismon, Luke 12:51) that Jesus has promised to bring to us for the Last (General) Judgement at the eschaton is to set aside only the pure, the saints, to enter the Kingdom, the New Heaven and Earth, our eternal home land to inherit.  The Greek word for “to judge”, κρίνω/krino, literally means to “separate” or “set aside”. And the saints, who are pure to live in full communion with God in the Kingdom (CCC 1023-1029, 2683), are holy (ἅγιος/hagios, which means to “be set aside” to be קֹ֫דֶשׁ /kodesh, “sanctified”, for being חָסִיד/chasid, “godly”).

The division that Jesus is bringing for the Last Judgement is not a thing to be afraid of, if you are bound to be a saint to be ushered in heaven, into the New Heaven and Earth. So Paul has said:

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:6-9).

May peace of Christ be with you always, especially as the division for the Last Judgement to set aside the holy and pure for the Kingdom is brought in.