Honoring Our Father in Heaven on Father’s Day

Imagine what Jesus would say on Father’s Day, if he were still teaching, as he had been during the time of the Gospels in Palestine almost 2,000 years ago.  Perhaps, he would think that Father’s Day is a good time to speak about his intimate relationship with the Father in heaven.

In fact, Jesus has spoken extensively about his intimate relationship with the Father during his time on earth, according to John’s Gospel.

“The Father and I are one”(John 10:30).

“If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize [and understand] that the Father is in me and I am in the Father”(John 10:37-38).

Jesus spoke these words to those who were critical of his authority. As a result of these words, they tried to arrest him.  He sure made more enemies as he spoke of his relationship with the Father.

Then, Jesus spoke further on his intimate relationship with the Father, this time, to his disciples during Last Supper.

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves”(John 14:10-11).

“On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you”(John 14:20).”

With the above words of Jesus (kerygma), Jesus revealed his unique relationship with the Father: the Father-Son oneness, as they are in each other reciprocally.  This is reflected in the First Ecumenical Council (325 AD) through these words, “genitum non factum, consubstantialem Patri”…. begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father. It is the consubstantiality between the Father and the Son that is important.  In Greek, the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son are called homoousis, which literally means “the same being”(home: same + ousis: being). Of course, the Father and the Son are not the same on one level but the same in their shared divine essence. Thus, the Father-Son homoousis must be understood in the Trinitarian hypostatic union. In other words, together with the Holy Spirit in Trinity, the Father-Son homoousis is oneness in substance.

The bottom line of the Father-Son homoousis is the hypostatic union because the Father is in the Son, and vice versa.  In other words, the homoousis is not on the surface but beneath it.

What about our relationship with the Father?

The key is in Jesus the Son and lied in these words of his, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”(John 14:6). In other words, Jesus is the only gateway to connect us to Pater noster qui es in coelis (our Father who art in heaven), unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem caeli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium (one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible).

In John 14:20, it is also noteworthy that Jesus juxtaposes his hypostatic homoousis with the Father to his intimate relationship with us. He wants to be in us and us to be in him as he is in the Father.  That is why he instituted the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper so that he, in his body and blood, through the transubstantiated bread and wine, are taken in us, so that we are in him as one body, as Paul puts it in Romans 12:5. This is possible because Corporis et Sanguinis Christi in the Holy Eucharist is infused with the Holy Spirit, as St. Ephraim has said.

Jesus the Son loves the Father so dearly and intimately. He sure would love the Father’s Day to honor Him. At the same time, he would reiterate his desire to be intimately in union with us, paralleling to his intimacy with the Father. And the Body and Blood of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, loaded with the Holy Spirit, is essential to draw and keep us closer to the Father through Christ the Son, while making us one body with many parts, reflecting many gifts of the same Holy Spirit.

The consubstantiality between the Father and the Son is critically important to appreciate the Father’s love extended to us through Christ.  This love of Our Father in heaven to us must be appreciated in the context of Trinity and through the Holy Eucharist. Perhaps, for this reason, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ following the Solemnity of Trinity.

Let us make sure that the Father in heaven, to whom we are journeying through Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, thriving on the Holy Eucharist, is honored on Father’s Day. 

自我からの開放、平和、平安、をめざす三昧

芥川龍之介の“蜘蛛の糸”を無量寿経にある阿弥陀如来の四十八誓願の中の第十八誓願に照らし合わせて読むと改めて自我への執着が結局自分を惨めにするものであるかが分かります。阿弥陀様の慈悲の恩恵ですらぶっ壊してしまうのですから。これはキリストが教える福音の真実に対して盲目な人ほど自我への執着が強いということに似ています。

犍陀多という悪人が血の池地獄で苦しんでいるとき、慈悲深き阿弥陀様はかつてこの悪人が一匹の蜘蛛を助けたことから彼を救わんと、あたかも蜘蛛の恩返しとでもいうような形で、一本の蜘蛛の糸を差し出し極楽の方へ上ってくるように計らいました。まさに無量寿経や親鸞聖人による悪人正機説でいわんとしている、悪人をもふくめたすべての人たちを救わんという阿弥陀様の慈悲の本願がこの蜘蛛の糸によって犍陀多にしめされたのであります。しかし、犍陀多にこの阿弥陀様の計り知れない慈悲の心という他力が理解できませんでした。だから自我のままにその救いの糸にしがみつき、地獄で一緒だった他の悪人達も自分に続いて救われようとその糸にしがみつきはじめると糸が切れて自分も他の悪人も諸共にまた地獄へ突き落とされることを恐れ彼らを蹴飛ばしました。そして、この救いの蜘蛛の糸が切れたのです。つまり、救いの糸が切れたのは他の悪人達の重みによるものではなく犍陀多の私欲による他の悪人達を救いの糸からけり落とすという行為だという比喩的論点により教えんとすることは、いかに自我というものが阿弥陀様の慈悲の計らいですら破壊してしまうようなものであるかということを自戒することだと考えられます。

更に思ったのは、他力本願の意味が分ると自己主義的な生き方から自分はまわりの人たちだけでなく様々な対象のおかげで生かされているということを悟り、それらに対し、思いやりや労りの心が膨らむようになるということです。特に、普段、見過ごしがちになったり、つい見下してしまいがちな、人達や生き物へこうした感謝と共感の念を向けることです。つまり、自我の毒を中和するいい薬は阿弥陀如来という他力の御心ともいえる本願に全てを委ねて帰依することしかないのではないでしょうか？これが、第十八誓願に示されている本当の他力本願であり、自己中心的な自力本願という妄想をぶち壊すものだといえます。そして、浄土真宗を禅宗的に行うのであれば、様々な災いの背後にある自我とそれがもたらす自力本願の妄想を克服せんという真摯な願いより阿弥陀仏に南無、つまり、帰依、せんという念仏三昧によって禅定するのことが必要なのです。いくら苦行しても、こうした念仏の素直な心がないと無意味でしょう。というか、“私は他の人ができないような苦行をして耐えてきたからこそ、それなりのご利益が得られるのだ”なんていう自我自力むき出しの考えで精進すれば、それは寧ろ百害あっても一利もなしでしょう。

東洋の代表的な仏が釈迦だとすれば、中東の代表的な仏はイエスだといえましょう。、まあ、イエスの場合、真実に覚醒しているという意味では仏ですが、実はそれ以上の存在であり、三位一体の考えからみれば神そのものなのです。でも、その教えはやはり釈迦ととても似通ったところがあり、彼の福音による救いの教えには、やはり、自我がその妨げであることを示唆しているところが幾つもあり、それ故、イエスは、自分を善き羊飼いに、そして、私達をそれが愛し世話し導く羊達だという比喩でもって自我をすてイエスという羊飼いの教え、導きにある真理に“南無”、帰依しなさいとヨハネによる福音書第十章で教えています。そして、この教えを更に補強せんと、最後の晩餐のときの説教において、自分が天の父に属する如く、私達もイエスに属するのである（ヨハネ１４：２０）、と説き、つまり、自分が父に従順であるように、私達もキリストであるイエスに従順でありなさいと教えているのです。更に、ヨハネによる福音書第１５章のはじめの１５節においてイエスという神である仏は、今度は自分をぶどうの木の幹にたとえ私達をそれとしっかりとつながっている枝に例え、イエスと私達との一体的従属関係を教示しています。そして、私達が枝として幹に属していることは、イエスの愛の中に生きるということ、そしてそれが喜び（ヨハネ１５：９―１１）であるとも教えています。だから、イエスはその後、お互いを愛しあいなさいとヨハネ１３：３４で“Mandatum Novum”として教えた隣人愛、兄弟愛、の教えを再度強調しているのです。こうしたイエスの福音の教えに対し自我やそれによる自力といった概念は妨げになるなるのです。

もし犍陀多が無量寿経や新約聖書の福音書をしっていれば、“おお、地獄の仲間の皆の衆も付いてくるんだな。この細い糸、大丈夫かな？でも、気にしない、気にしない、だって、これはすべて阿弥陀様、キリスト、の慈悲のお計らいなんだから拙者のような凡夫があれこれ案じて心配するより、ただただありがたくこの救いの糸を感謝し、私だけでなく皆一緒に救われたらそれこそ本望であり、喜びもひとしおだ”と悟ることができたのでしょうね。犍陀多がこうして自我をあの時克服していれば、阿弥陀様も地獄にいた皆も共に喜びを共有し、めでたしめでたしだったのでしょうが。

本当の意味で念仏三昧へと精進すれば、その過程で得られる阿弥陀様の無量の慈悲という他力の衆生救済本願への素直は、生きとし生けるものすべてへの思いやりが高め、私欲の飽くなき追求による幸せではなく、全ての対象との共存にこそ喜びと感謝の念を見出す生き方ができるようになります。そして、こうした仏教的な生き方はキリストの教えの中でも一番大切な隣人愛、兄弟愛、相互連帯の愛の教えにもつながるのです。

巷では、よく平和、平和、とやみくもに叫び、好き嫌いの感情的要素に踊らされて、憲法がどうだの、条約がどうだの言っても、これらはすべてそれぞれ考えが違う人たちの自我に触発された心の計らいのぶつかり合いでしかありません。そんな状態では本当の平和なんて生まれるわけがありません。平和といってもそれは見せかけであり、所詮、相対的、無常なものなのです。なぜならば、それは征服者、戦傷者などの強者が強引につくりだす妄想の平和だからです。かつてのPax Romana,そして、戦後日本を含めた現在の西側諸国の Pax Americanaなどがその歴史的ないい例でしょう。しかし、こうした妄想の平和はいつまで続くかわかりません。現に、冷戦からその終焉をも越えて戦後の世界体制をリードしてきたPax Americanaも、ロシアや中国という新台頭勢力による飽くなき世界覇権競争により揺さぶられているではありませんか。現在進行形で存在する地球を何度も完全破壊できるほどの核兵器や近年より活発になってきた世界的テロ活動なども、こうした一時的強者によってもたらされる妄想の平和の問題を露呈しているといえます。そして、こうした国際政治学的常識の背後にうかがえるのが自我によって操作される自力の概念がもたらす数え切れないほどの災いなのです。しかも、その多くが“平和”とか“社会正義”といった無智な私達が飛びつきやすそうな仮面をつけているので厄介です。

阿弥陀如来がいう平安、キリストがいう平和、を理解するならばやはりこれらをすべ見抜き、自我がもたらす様々な弊害を超越したところに三昧、無念無想、の境地を見出さねばなりません。その手引書として経典にある仏法があり、聖書にある福音があるのです。これらが一連して教えているのは、自我の咎めなのです。よって、自我のままで平和や社会の正義などを議論しても不毛であるといえましょう。確かに古今東西、経典や聖書は教え継がれてきましたが、やはり“論語読みの論語知らず”の感が否めません。だから歴史の悲劇は繰り返すのです。心を入れ替え、素直な南無、つまり、帰依の心でこうした東洋の仏である釈迦や中東の仏であるイエスの智慧を改めて学ぶことで自我という障害を認識しその災いを未然に防ぐことが救いにいたる平和、平安を享受する為に必要です。

自我の牢獄にいるかぎり本当の平和、救いはないのです。阿弥陀であれキリストであれ、いくら救いの手を差しのべても私達自身が自我という牢獄から真摯に出たいと願わない事には、犍陀多の私欲が蜘蛛の糸をぶっちぎってしまったように救いの効果を得るとができないのですから。犍陀多の本当の地獄は地の池というよりも彼自身が克服しきれなかった自我だったのです。そして、自我の牢獄から抜け出す手引きが経典は聖書に見出せるのです。

From Jesus’ Call to the First Batch of His Disciples in Galilee to the Birth of the Church on Pentecost in Jerusalem

50 days from the Resurrection, Pentecost is celebrated to conclude Eastertide. For the first 40 days, the risen Christ was present on earth and made multiple appearances to his beloved disciples. Through his post-resurrection appearances to them, the disciples’ grief over the death of Jesus and doubt about the resurrection were replaced with joy. Then, as they came to terms with the risen Christ, he summoned them to commission just before the Ascension. It was 40 days from the Resurrection.

In commissioning, the risen Christ commanded the disciples, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing then in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20a), echoing these words of Jesus to Simon (Peter) and his brother, Andrew, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19), when he began recruiting the disciples about 3 years prior. Upon this commanding, Jesus promised, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age”(Matthew 28:20b). This echoes what Jesus said during the Last Supper, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you”(John 14:15-18).

With the Ascension of the risen Christ to the Father in heaven, there was no longer the physical presence of Christ. Nevertheless, the disciples grew spiritually mature enough to understand Christ’s perpetual presence with them. Thus, they anticipated the coming of what he promised to be sent from the Father, for the remaining days until Pentecost.

The disciples stayed together, as Jesus commanded, until the coming of what he promised. Then, suddenly, the Father gave them the Holy Spirit, as promised by Christ the Son, on Pentecost. In the Jewish tradition, Pentecost marks the conclusion of extended Pesach celebration with the ending of counting of the omer to begin the 50 days of feast of Shavuot, offering the firstfruit (bikkurium) of the year’s harvest and to commemorate Matan Torah (God’s giving of the Law to the Israelites). While the devout Jews all nations gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of Shavuot, all the disciples were in one place in Jerusalem, when the Holy Spirit suddenly descended upon them. It was like gusting wind with loud noise (Acts 2:2). The original Greek text uses for wind is “pnoe”, rather than “pneuma”, which can also mean wind, as well as breath. Compared to “pneuma”, “pnoe” has the connotation to gust, while “pneuma” does not. This suggests that “pnoe” is more like the Hebrew word, “ruah”, which literally means gusting wind, allegorically understood as the Holy Spirit.  “Ruah” was blowing over the water as God began His Creation (Genesis 1:2). As a matter of fact. “pnoe” in Acts 2:2 is used as an allegory to the Holy Spirit (Pneuma Hagion) in Acts 2:4. Reading Acts 2:2-4, we notice that what came like “pnoe” (gusting wind) to the disciples appeared to them as “glossai pyros”(tongues of fire)(Acts 2:3), enabling them to speak in various tongues that they had never spoken and learned.  And, this was how the Church was born out of a one bunch of the disciples, who were commissioned by the risen Christ.

The Greek word for the Church is “ekklesia”.  Given it is made of “ek” (out of) and “kaleo”(to call), the Church is literally people called to God out of the world. Therefore, its prototype is traced back to Matthew 4:18-22, when Jesus called the first patch of disciples to follow him to be made as “fishers of men”.  These men grew in number, adding some women, as well, as Jesus continued his public ministry until he was arrested to put to death. Though many of them scattered once upon the arrest of him, while a few, like Mary the mother of Jesus and John, followed him all the way to the foot of his Cross, and Judas committed suicide after betraying him, the remaining eleven was brought together in one group by the time that the risen Christ summoned to commission, before his Ascension. Once again, they were called to gather with Christ and to be sent out, namely to become apostolic.

During the Last Supper, Jesus indicated that what comes on Pentecost is another Advocate (John 14:16, 26, 15:26). In some translations, Advocate is interchangeably used with Comforter, as its original Greek word, “Parakletos” means Advocate, Comforter, as well as Counselor. In John 14:17, Jesus explains that this “Parakletos” is “Pneuma tes aletheias”(the Spirit of truth). The word, “Parakletos” is made of “para”(closely beside) and “kaleo”(to call). Thus, “Parakletos” is a being called to be closely beside. Now, put “Parakletos” in juxtaposition to “Ekklesia”, which literally means a being called (to God) out of the world, we understand how the Church (Ekklesia) and Advocate/Comforter (Parakletos) are related. And, the essence of “Parakletos” is “Pneuma tes aletheias”, which Jesus promised to be sent out of the Father for the benefit of the disciples. In Acts 2:4, this “Parakletos” is understood as “Pneuma Hagiou” in Acts 2:4, while it comes like “pnoe”(gusting wind)(Acts 2:2) and appeared as “glossai pyros”(tongues of fire)(Acts 2:3).

Given how Jesus’ call to recruit the first batch of the disciples in Capernaum of the region of Galilee had led to the birth of the Church on Pentecost, we really know that the essence of the Church as Ekklesia is being called to be sent out to all nations on earth – to all the ends of the earth to fill God’s fishing nets, filling the Kingdom of God with the faithful, as guided by Parakletos, who is sent by the Father to call us to beside Him.

As the very first response of the disciples to the sending down of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost was speaking in various tongues, indicating that these tongues represent languages of all nations, just as 153 fish caught in Peter’s (John 21:11) allegorically means making disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), so that the Church is able to reach out to people of all languages and nations. And, what has given birth and life to this Ekklesia is one same spirit, Pneuma Hagiou(Holy Spirit)(Acts 2:3), also known as Pneuma tes aletheias”(the Spirit of truth)(John 14:17) and another “Parakletos” (Advocate, Comforter, Counselor) (John 14:16, 26, 15:26).

Certainly, the birth of the Church was not a quiet event. Rather, it came with a lot of dynamism of sound and movement. This is, indeed, just like a human child birth, as any mother can testify all of these physical, physiological, and emotional dynamism of labor process leads to a loud cry of a new born baby. Thus, the glossolalia of the Holy-Spirit-infused disciples, at the time of the birth of the Church on Pentecost was like a loud out cry of a new born baby, while great spiritual dynamism allegorical to sudden gusting wind and fire, is like complex psychosomatic dynamism of labor leading to a child birth.

The birth of the Church out of the Holy-Spirit-filled disciples with the loud glossolaia also made them as bikkurim (firs fruit) offering for Shavuot feast of 50 days, as they submitted to the summoning call of Jesus before the Ascension and to the “pnoe”/”ruah” of the Holy Spirit.

Happy Birthday to Ekklesia, as we, the faithful disciples today, are called out of the word to the way to the Father through Christ and to be accompanied by Parakletos, as one holy catholic (universal) apostolic (being sent) Church!