The Cross-Shaped Twofold Supreme Commandment of Love: to God and to One Another as Neighbors – 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

As this Liturgical Year (Cycle B)’s end draws nearer, we have been following Jesus on his last journey to Jerusalem through Sunday Mass Gospel Readings since the 28^th Sunday (Mark 10:17-30).  With 3 more Sundays remaining in the Liturgical Year (32^nd Sunday, 33^rd Sunday, and 34^th Sunday (Christ the King Sunday)), we are really coming closer to the end of this Liturgical Year on the 31^st Sunday. And the Gospel Reading for the 31^st Sunday (Mark 12:28b-34) also reflects this, as Jesus already entered the city of Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11). It took in Jerusalem during Jesus’ last 5 days to his death on the Cross.

Upon entering this Holy City, Jerusalem, Jesus faced scrutinizing challenges by those who wanted to test him and to trap him (Mark 11:27-12:34), upon cleansing the Temple (Mark 11:15-19).  This is the background context of the Gospel Reading for the 31^st Sunday (Mark 12:28b-34).

A scribe, who heard how Jesus fended off ensnaring challenges, came to Jesus and asked, “Which is the first of all the commandments?”(Mark 12:28), as to test Jesus’  insights into the Torah, which contains 613 commandments (mitzvot).

Jesus replied, first citing Deuteronomy 6:4, which is known as the Shema, which means “hear”, being used for Jewish confession of faith in the morning and in the evening, then, citing Deuteronomy 6:5, which is addressed in the First Reading (Deuteronomy 6:2-6), and  Leviticus 19:18:

The first is this: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul (being), with all your mind, and with all your strength”. The second is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).

In response, the scribe showed his understanding of Jesus’ take on the supreme commandment (Mark 12:30; Deuteronomy 6:5), put together with the second supreme one (Mark 12:31; Leviticus 19:18), saying to Jesus:

Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, “He is One and there is no other than he.”And ‘”to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself” is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices (Mark 12:32-33).

The scribe demonstrated his comprehension of what Jesus meant by saying that there is no other commandment greater than Deuteronomy 6:5 (to love God totally and above all) and Leviticus 19:18 (to love neighbor as yourself) by adding his own words, “worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices”(Mark 12:33b). The scribes learned from Jesus that Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 carry heavier weight than other commandments, like these on burnt offerings and sacrifices, such as Exodus 27:1-8; 40:6; Leviticus 1:1-17; 3:1-17; 4:1-6:13; 7:1-10, 11-21. Perhaps, this scribe witnessed how Jesus cleansed the Temple (Mark 11:15-17) and thought of how displeasing to God it is to offer meaningless sacrifices with wicked heart (Proverbs 15:5; Isaiah 1:11-15) for his statement in Mark 12:33b.

And noticing how well the scribe understood him, Jesus said:

You are not far from the kingdom of God (Mark 12:34).

A kind of sacrifice pleasing to God is to love God and to love neighbors through our praises to God and to do good to others by sharing what we have (Hebrews 13:15-16).

An important theme to reflect on the 31^st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, is that we see Jesus teaching that all the 613 commandments (mitzvot) in the Torah boil down to the twofold outgoing nature of love: To love God without compromise (Deuteronomy 6:5) and to love neighbors as yourself (Leviticus 19:18)(Mark 12:29-31).  This is because God loves us first (1 John 4:11, 19), and indeed, God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). For we are to love for being loved by God (1 John 4:7-21), Paul reminds how essential love is in our Christian life of faith (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) and explains what love’s nature is (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) and the supremacy of love in connection to spiritual maturity and fullness (1 Corinthians 13:9-13).

In fact, to our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31; Leviticus 19:18) as one another, is in Jesus’ Mandatum Novum (John 13:34).

In Luke’s Gospel, we see Jesus giving a concrete example of what it means to love your neighbor (Mark 12:31; Leviticus 19:18) with the example of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37). In this, Jesus connects love and mercy.

And in Matthew’s Gospel, we see how our observance of the commandment to love neighbors (Mark 12:31; Leviticus 19:18) , after all, leads to our practice of the commandment to love God (Mark 12:30; Deuteronomy 6:5), as it is done as the Good Samaritan did (Luke 10:29-37), as loving our neighbors, especially whose needs are greater, means loving God incarnated in the human flesh of Jesus (Matthew 25:40).

This is how we see love is twofold, vertically binding God and we, as well as horizontally keeping us together as neighbors – as brothers and sisters in Christ, as one (John 14:20; 17:23). And this is what it means to remain in love (John 15:9-10; 1 John 4:15-16). So, this vertical-horizontal twofold outgoing character of love by putting Deuteronomy 6:5 (vertical love from us to God) and Leviticus 19:18(horizontal love from one another among us as neighbors and brothers and sisters in Christ as one), as Jesus put it and indicated that all the 613 commandments in the Torah are for this (Mark 12:29-31).

The vertical orientation of our expression of love to God (Mark 12:30; Deuteronomy 6:5; cf. Exodus 20:2-11) and the horizontal orientation of our love to neighbors – to one another (Mark 12:31; Leviticus 19:18; cf. John 13:34; Luke 10:29-37) form a cross-shape. And the Cross is the most powerful symbol of love (cf. John 15:13; cf. John 10:11, 15). Because God became flesh in Jesus to be our neighbor, dwelling among us  (i.e. John 1:1, 14), this the vertical expression of our love to God (Mark 12:30; Deuteronomy 6:5; cf. Exodus 20:2-11) and horizontal expression of our love to neighbor – one another (Mark 12:31; Leviticus 19:18; cf. Luke 10:29-37) crosses in Matthew 25:40. And because of Mark 12:30; Deuteronomy 6:5; cf. Exodus 20:2-11, Jesus demands to love him above anyone else, even our own beloved parents and brothers and sisters (Matthew 10:37; Luke 14:26) with nothing earthly to hold us back rather than simply obeying the commandments (i.e. Mark 9:17-31). And in the Gospel Reading for the 32^nd Sunday (Mark 12:38-44), we see a poor widow, who poured all she had with her into the Temple treasury though it was a fraction to what wealthy people put excess of their assets, in terms of what it means to love God love with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your being, and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5; Mark 12:30), which Jesus regards as the highest commandment. Jesus calls the way the poor widow demonstrated her love of God is pouring her livelihood (Mark 12:44).

We can offer our entire livelihood to God in loving God, as the poor widow did (Mark 12:38-44), not just because it is the most supreme commandment to love God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5; Mark 12:30) but because God, who is love, loved us first (1 John 4:8, 11, 16, 19). And God loved us by sending us His only begotten Son (John 3:16; cf. 1 John 4:9-12, 14), incarnating Word, which is God (John 1:1, 14), in the human flesh of Jesus through Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35) so that he can be among us (John 1:14) as our neighbor to be loved (i.e. Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:31; cf. Matthew 25:31-40). And we can love our neighbors not just as we love ourselves (Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:31) but as we love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5; Mark 12:30), by pouring our whole livelihood, as exemplified by St Damien of Molokai, who pour out his whole live in serving his leper neighbors, and  St. Maximilian Kolbe, who offered himself in order to save his neighbor in the Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz, pointing to where the vertical move of our love to God (Deuteronomy 6:5; Mark 12:30) and horizontal move of our love to neighbors (Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:31) meet by loving Christ in poor Jesus (Matthew 25:40).

So, John reminds us how we can truly love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength unless we love our neighbors, because it is how Jesus commanded us as by putting Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18 together as above all other 611 commandments in Torah (Mark 12:29-31)(1 John 4:19-21).

And this is how the cross-shaped symbol of the twofold love commandments of our vertical love to God (Deuteronomy 6:5) and horizontal love to our neighbors (Leviticus 19:18) as commanded by Jesus and indicated as the command above all other commandment as our Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4)(Mark 12:29-30) is about, echoed by Paul’s emphasis on love in our life of faith (1 Corinthians 13:1-13).

The vertical expression of our love to God (Deuteronomy 6:5) and the horizontal expression of our love to our neighbors (Leviticus 19:18) as a set of the supreme commandment (Mark 6:30-31), forming a cross-shape as a powerful symbol of two-fold love. And this is reflected in all the 613 commandments (mitzvot) of God in the Torah. In general, these commandments are put into two categories: ones that govern our relationship with God (vertical) and ones that govern our relationship with each other as God’s beloved (horizontal). The Ten Commandments also follow this pattern as the first three commandments are about our relationship with God (Exodus 20:2-11), while the rest of the seven commandments governs how we live as brothers and sisters, as God’s beloved children, as neighbors (Exodus 20:12-17).

I.                   I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me.

II.                You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

III.             Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.

IV.            Honor your father and your mother.

V.               You shall not kill.

VI.            You shall not commit adultery.

VII.         You shall not steal.

VIII.      You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

IX.            You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.

X.               You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.

Moses interpreted the First Commandment: I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me (Exodus 20:2-6) in these words:

 You shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength (Deuteronomy 6:5).

And Jesus cited this to answer the scribe’s question (Mark 12:30).  But, in the same breath, he went on to cite Leviticus 19:18, saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”(Mark 12:31),  to give deeper insights on the commandment to love God above all without any compromise (Deuteronomy 6:5). This is why John reminds us that we cannot truly observe the most supreme commandment to love God (Deuteronomy 6:5), our vertical love, unless we love our neighbors (Leviticus 19:18) (1 John 4:20-21). We cannot separate the horizontal part from the vertical part of the cross, which is our twofold love, as commanded by Jesus (Mark 12:29-31; 1 John 4:21).

The Cross symbolized how Jesus loves us – giving his whole being, including his body, blood, soul, and divinity, for us. At the same time, the Cross symbolically represents the twofold outgoing nature of love: To love God and to love each other as neighbors. The former goes vertically, from the bottom to the top, while the latter goes horizontally.

Speaking of the cross-shaped symbol of love, it is not just about the twofold commandment of love given to us by Jesus (1 John 4:21; Mark 12:29-31) but it is Jesus himself as Christ, the Son of God, incarnate, because in him, the divinity and the humanity cross. And this is the fundamental concept of Christology. And this is what makes Jesus as the everlasting High Priest of ours, different from mere human high priests under the Law, as reflected in the Second Reading (Hebrews 7:23-28). Because he is the crossing point of the divinity and the humanity, Jesus, our High Priest, does not need to offer burnt sacrifice after burnt sacrifice to atone for our sins, under the Law (Hebrews 7:27a). It is he, who offered his whole being, his body, blood, soul, and divinity, up on the Cross as the sacrifice once for all (Hebrews 7:27b), and this cannot be done by any mortal high priests under the Law but only by Jesus the eternal and perfect High Priest, who represents the crossing of the divinity and the humanity, under the oath beyond the Law (Hebrews 7:28).

Nearly 70% of Catholics: Are You Blinder Than Bartimaeus? - Seeing Through Naked Eyes vs. Seeing Through Heart of Faith

To the baptized and confirmed Catholics:

Do you “see” Christ in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist?

Do you “see” the very Corpus Christi (Body of Christ) in the consecrated bread, the Eucharistic Bread, as the hostia (sacrificial victim)?

Do you “see” the precious Sanguis Christi (Blood of Christ) in the consecrated wine?

To be able to “see” and recognize the very presence of the living Christ in the species of the Eucharistic Bread and the Eucharistic Wine?

To your naked eyes, they just look like bread and wine. To your taste buds, they taste like bread and wine.

If that’s all you experience with the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, you are indeed blind! Blinder than Bartimaeus!

According to Mark (Mark 10:46-52), Bartimaeus was a blind beggar in Jericho.  But he did not seem to be a mere blind beggar. He was actually more than that. And there seemed to be something about this blind beggar of Jericho, who caught attention of Jesus and whose blindness was healed by Jesus. And Jesus said it was because of Bartimaeus’ faith.

As a matter of fact, Mark hints something about Bartimaeus beyond being a blind beggar to have grabbed Jesus’ attention for his persistent appeal for Jesus’ mercy.

First, the fact that Bartimaeus was able to recognize Jesus as the Messiah by calling him  “Son of David”(Mark 10:48). Seeing Jesus not just as a man from Nazareth but as the Davidic Messiah (i.e. 2 Samuel 7:5-15; Jeremiah 23:1-8) indicates Bartimaeus’ profound insights with the Scriptures, reflecting the depth of his faith. Those who were able to see Jesus physically and knew him from Nazareth could not see him as the Messiah. They only saw Jesus as a mere carpenter, son of Mary (Mark 6:3). So they thought how could a carpenter of Nazareth could be the Messiah. Those in Jerusalem rejected Jesus as demonic upon witnessing his miracles (Mark 3:22; John 8:48, 52). Those who disregarded the Messianic quality of Jesus were not blind as Bartimaeus was. But, they were blind to what Bartimaeus could see.

In light to John 9:35-41, Bartimaeus was not really “blind”. But rather, the “blind” were those who were able to see Jesus and witness his signs in their naked ayes but failed to believe.

Reflecting on Bartimaeus’ insight to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, in his homily for the 30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B , Deacon Michael Neba of Holy Child of Jesus Parish in Chicago, confronted our “blindness”, given the reality that only about one third of the Catholics truly believe in the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist (2019 Pew Research Center Survey). This indicates that a significant number of Catholics who attend Mass and see Epiklesis during the Eucharistic Prayer cannot in their own eyes cannot see Christ’s presence upon transubstantiation. They still see the Eucharist as mere bread and wine, or just a symbol of Christ’s body and blood, like the Protestants.

What is necessary to see the presence of Christ in the Eucharist is not 20-20 eye sight but genuine faith, 20-20 faith. And, to see such truth as the presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist through transubstantiation, it does not depend on our naked eyes but the eyes of our heart, namely, our faith.

It is not “seeing is believing”, but rather, “believing is seeing”, because believing (πίστις/pistis – faith, trusting) enables us to see what is unseen (Hebrews 11:1). Therefore, regardless of your eye sight, a lack of faith can make you blind.

And in this regard, Bartimaeus was able to see what cannot be seen with his naked eyes, because of his faith. This is why Bartimaeus was able to see the presence of Jesus, as he came near to him. So, Bartimaeus raised his voice, calling for Jesus’ mercy. He raised his voice all the more when people tried to silence him. Bartimaeus wanted to see because he wanted to see Jesus, son of David, the prophesized Messiah, even more.

So, when Jesus commanded to go his way upon healing his blindness, Bartimaeus followed Jesus.

What about you? What about us?

Do we “see” Christ in the species of the Eucharistic Bread and in the Eucharistic Wine upon consecration through Epiklesis – as Bartimaeus, blind beggar of Jericho, “saw” the Christ (Messiah) as he was passing by, on his way to Jerusalem, in his heart?  Unless we all “see” the living Christ as the salvific and victorious hostia, in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in our heart because of our 20-20 faith, we are blinder than Bartimaeus.

Jesus Christ the Eternal High Priest Who Brings Salvation by Deliverance and Restoration for the New Covenant - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

Jesus is the compassionate and eternal high priest (Hebrews 4:14-5:10), who can heal and restore wounded creations to the original goodness and beauty (being “טוֹב/towb”(Genesis 1:31), “καλός/kalos”(1 Timothy 4:4), as created by God. This includes that the damaged and diseased humanity can be healed and restored to its original perfection, for which we are called to strive for (Matthew 5:48), because we were, indeed, created in an image of God (Genesis 1:27), who is perfect (Matthew 5:48) and so are His way (Psalm 18:31; 2 Samuel 22:31) and His work (Deuteronomy 32:4).  The original state of being pleasingly good and beautiful has been lost because of the sin of Adam and Eve, corresponding with the loss of Eden (i.e. Genesis 3). Subsequently, human life has been subject to death (e.g. Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:56). However, because God so loves us and sent His only begotten Son to us (John 3:16), our life, along with all other created beings, can be restored to its original fullness, through him in reconciling, as the Son has sacrificed himself on the Cross (Colossians 1:19-20). So, Christ is to restore our life (1 Corinthians 15:22-24), giving us a new life, resurrecting us with new incorruptible bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42-49).

In the Gospel Reading (Mark 10:46-52), we see Jesus healing Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, enabling him to see.

Mark did not tell if Bartimaeus had been blind since his birth or became blind after his birth (cf. John 9:1-41). And it is not sure if he was blind because of his sin or sin of his parents or ancestors. It is because such subjects are not so important here.

What matters in the Mark’s story about Jesus making Bartimaeus see, as he asked Jesus for, is Jesus, Christ the Son, restores what is lost and damaged, to its fullness and perfection. And Bartimaeus’ case was no exception.

For whatever the reason, Bartimaeus’ sight was lost. And he really wanted to have it. Though no body – no physician could help him, he seemed to know that Jesus could. So, as he noticed that the man passing by with his disciples and a sizable crowd, heading to Jerusalem, was Jesus of Nazareth (Mark 10:46-47a), Bartimaeus began to cry out, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me!” (Mark 10:47b). Calling Jesus “son of David”, Bartimaeus somehow knew something about Jesus – at least Jesus’ Davidic roots (i.e. Matthew 1:6-16). And he seemed to have sensed the Messianic quality in Jesus.

Though people rebuked him and tried to silence his cry for Jesus’ mercy, Bartimaeus did not give up. He kept his cry all the more (Mark 10:48). And this certainly grabbed Jesus’ attention, as he stopped and told the people with him to call Bartimaeus (Mark 10:49a). So, they called him, saying to him, “Take courage; get up”, because Jesus is calling you (Mark 10:49b).

The people who tried to shut Bartimaeus’ cry for Jesus’ mercy now encouraged him to get up to respond to Jesus’ call on him, upon Jesus’ command. And, Bartimaeus wasted no moment, as he sprung up immediately, throwing his cloak aside, and rushed to Jesus (Mark 10:50).

Then, Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”, and Bartimaeus replied, “Master, I want to see” (Mark 10:51).

And, Jesus ordered Bartimaeus:

Go your way; your faith has saved you (Mark 10:52a).

So, Bartimaeus received his sight immediately and followed Jesus (Mark 10:52b). With his eye sight, Bartimaeus started a new life, following Jesus, being able to see the way, the truth, and life, which is Jesus (John 14:6).

Yes, Jesus restored the lost sight of Bartimaeus. Jesus delivered him from the darkness of his blindness to the light of his new sight, because of his steadfast and resilient faith. The faith of Bartimaeus that was worthy of Jesus’ attention and salvific response was characterized with the fact that his cry for Jesus’ mercy grew even stronger and louder with the suppressing forces.

Do we have this kind of faith – a king of Bartimaeus’ faith, a kind of faith that nothing can deter (cf. 1 Samuel 1:1-23; Luke 8:1-18; Luke 11:5-13; cf. Matthew 9:20–22//Mark 5:25–34//Luke 8:43–48)? Or is your faith too weak to sustain through adversities, as you tend to lose faith and hope in facing worsening and prolonging challenges? Or, as Bartimaeus’ cry for Jesus’ mercy grew stronger all the more in response to the suppressing forces, is your faith rather grow ever more in facing discouraging factors?

For those who keep faith, for those whose faith grow stronger with challenges, God delivers out of such situations for restoration of what has been lost and mangled.

God’s character as the one, who delivers for restoration is reflected in the First Reading (Jeremiah 31:7-9). In this reading, Jeremiah is calling the remnants of Israel, who endured the 70 years of the Babylonian exile, for the post-Exilic joy and for the new covenant, as God delivered them back to Jerusalem for restoration. And what was restored by God through the hands of those remnants was not only Jerusalem and the Temple but their relationship with God, caped with the new post-Exilic covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). During the Babylonian Exile, though they lost Jerusalem and the Temple, the remnants of Israel did not lose their faith and kept it strong with hope that God would deliver and bring them back to Jerusalem through their prayers in contrition and lamentation (e.g. Psalm 137).

The Jews had been kept in the darkness of the Babylonian Exile, upon losing Jerusalem and the Temple to Babylonian destructions. But, they were delivered and what had been lost were restored for keeping their faith and hope, upon penance. Bartimaeus was delivered from the darkness of his blindness and his lost sight was restored because of his steadfast faith.

So, what is it that you need to let Jesus, the Christ the Son, deliver you from? What is it that needs to be restored by God incarnated in the human flesh of Jesus through his blood?

Remember, as the Second Reading (Hebrews 5:1-6) reminds us, we do have the eternal high priest, who can patiently deal with us, for our healing and restoration needs, as he has offered him to expiate our sins. Why don’t we cry out to him, our eternal high priest, Jesus, the Christ the Son, as Bartimaeus did?

So we sing with joy and gratitude, “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy!”(Psalm 126:3) in the refrain from the Rsponsorial Psalm (126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6), recalling how God has delivered the captives into freedom and new life – how God has restored the fullness in Bartimaeus’ life, which was plagued with blindness. With this Psalm singing, we keep our faith and hope for God’s mercy on us to deliver us from what keeps us from the fullness and to restore us to the original goodness pleasing to God.  So we can celebrate a new full life under the new covenant in restored relationship with God. It is made possible through the blood of Christ (Colossians 1:20), which is the essence of the new covenant (Luke 22:20).

St. Pope John Paul II – Pastor in the Post-Modernistic World, Vicar of Christ the Good Shepherd

Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.   Psalm 93:3, Refrain from the Responsorial Psalm (96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10) for Memorial of Saint John Paul II, Pope, October 22.

Throughout the history of the Church, among all the Popes, ever since St. Peter, there has been no other Pope who has so extensively traveled to proclaim God’s mighty deeds (i.e. Psalm 96: 3) and  the Good News (i.e. Mark 16:15), as St. John Paul II has.  As the 263^rd successor of St. Peter, St. John Paul II (Karol Wojtyła) has made pastoral visits to 129 countries during his reign from 1978 until 2005.

In the world plagued with relativism and materialism from the late 20^th century into the 21^st century, St. John Paul II, has raised his prophetic voice to stir up the faith and conscience of Christ’s sheep in ways to make sense in the post-modernistic  world. In order to defend the Church and the faithful, whom he shepherded on behalf of Christ the Good Shepherd, as Pope, St. John Paul II, carried on the Thomistic theological tradition, in fighting communism and relativism, as his predecessors, especially Pope Leo XIII and St. Pope Pius X did during the time post-industrial revolution modernistic time with the rise of communism. He

As Pope, St. John Paul II also made many new initiatives, such as the World Day of Prayer for Peace, annual interreligious meeting of prayer for peace since 1986, and the World Day of the Sick since the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes in 1993, “to transform the whole of human civilization into a civilization of love”, citing from his 1984 Apostolic Letter, “Salvifici Doloris”, in his message for the first annual Day of the Sick on October 21, 1992.  Such a pastoral view of St. John Paul II gives a more focused attention to Church’s mission as “dispenser of the medicine of mercy” (St. Pope John XXIII), as well as, “the field hospital” (Pope Francis), reflecting on Jesus’ words in sending the twelve disciples on mission (Matthew 10:8). It is also necessary to note that he initiated the Word Youth Day in 1985, which has been celebrated since 1986, reflecting his special interest in reaching out to the youth and young adults ever since when he was a young parish priest in Poland.

The post-modernistic world that St. John Paul II served as Pope was like the post-Exilic Jerusalem. The Babylonians destroyed and desecrated Jerusalem and the Temple from 587 to 586BC, taking those who survived the massacres into captivity in Babylon. Therefore, the Holy City, Jerusalem, needed to be rebuilt and purified by those who returned from the Babylonian Exile with renewed faith and hope, with God’s glad tidings, as reflected in the First Reading (Isaiah 52:7-10). Likewise, the Church and hearts of the faithful from the modernistic era into the post-modernistic era have been assailed and poisoned with relativism, egoism, and materialism, needing to be repaired and maintained with constant renewal of faith with reason. As Pope, St. John Paul II, has invigorated this mission, expounding on the spirit of the Vatican II Council further in balancing the Council’s directives of aggiornamento and ad fontes for the Church, emphasizing constant dialogues of faith with reason, as promulgated in his 1998 encyclical, “Fide et Ratio”. This way, the Church shall thrive as the verdant pasture for Christ’s sheep to be nurtured in the post-modernistic era.

As the 263^rd successor of St. Peter, whom risen Christ commissioned to feed and care for his sheep, as reflected in the Gospel Reading (John 21:15-17), St. John Paul II, vigorously served as Vicar of Christ the Good Shepherd (i.e. John 10:11-18), feeding Christ’s sheep with the Word of God in his extensive teaching and the Holy Eucharist, and caring Christ’s sheep with his pastoral presence through his extensive global reach out. He has also reached out with the Word and his pastoral presence to what Christ has called “other sheep”(John 10:16), what Karl Rahner described as “anonymous Christian”, through his extensive ecumenical and inter-religious dialogues for peace.

As the 263^rd Pastor of the world, St. John Paul II steered the Church from the 20^th century into the 21^st century, fighting what he called the “culture of death” with love and mercy to promote “the culture of life”, as promulgated in his 1995 encyclical, “Evangelium Vitae”.

In reflecting on the legacy of St. John Paul II on his memorial feast day, how are we, as the Church, doing in keeping up with his directives? Are we fighting well against modernism and other enemies of the Church, such as “the culture of death”, materialism, egoism, and so forth? Are we also proclaiming God’s marvelous deeds on our respective apostolic missions, honoring the way of St. John Paul II?

Let us not get lost to the post-modernistic world of relativism, materialism, egoism, and "the culture of death".

Jesus Our Reparation Offering (Ashem) for Our Redemption: Can We Follow Him, Walking His Way of Servant Pastoral Leadership? – 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

There are two themes reflected in the Scripture Readings for the 29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B:

I: Christological theme: Jesus journeys to Jerusalem to offer himself as אָשֵׁם (ashem) to acquit us from condemnation for our offenses against God, as ransom for us, by drinking from the cup of suffering – so that we can receive the cup of salvation, the chalice willed with the precious blood of Christ – and by being baptized into death on the Cross. And Jesus, being the High Priest, served as ashem for us out of compassion for us.

II. We are to follow Jesus as servant to each other, as our practice of Jesus’ New Commandment (Mandatum Novum), to love one another as he has done so (John 13:34-35), even it may require us to drink from the cup of suffering and to be baptized into death, Jesus has drunk from it and has been baptized so on the Cross.

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Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem.  As Jesus was gearing up for his passion, death, and resurrection, to consummate his earthly salvific mission there.

Just as he began the last journey, a rich man, seemingly proud of himself for faithfully observing the commandment, came to Jesus and asked what he should do to inherit eternal life. Out of his love for this man, Jesus prescribed him a way for eternal life: selling all of his possessions for the poor and following him. But, this man just could not accept what Jesus commanded him to do as his personal riches were too good for him to let go. Forfeiting a possibility for eternal life, the man left Jesus with sadness. Then, Jesus taught his disciples how difficult it would be to enter the Kingdom of God if letting their own possessions become obstacles for their entry by attaching themselves to the possessions.  (Mark 10:17-31)

And, Jesus and the disciples went on.

Having just heard Jesus speaking about renouncing material possession for eternal life and to follow him as his disciple and how difficult it is for those who are attached to material wealth to enter the Kingdom, but those who do all of these will be rewarded greatly, the disciples must have been contemplating on these, while Jesus was leading the way toward Jerusalem (Mark 10:32a). At the same time, they were amazed at Jesus determination to go to Jerusalem in spite of extreme danger, remembering him foretelling his death and resurrection twice before (Mark 8:31; 9:31), and fear began to sink in, at least, to some of them (Mark 10:32b). And, once again, Jesus foretold of his impending death, followed by his resurrection in these words:

Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise (Mark 10:33-34).

There was a contrast between Jesus’ steadfast determination to go through the via dolorosa, the via crusis, toward the Calvary, and the disciples’ fears about what would unfold in Jerusalem in regard to their master. Jesus was leading the way (mark 10:32a) as to indicate that he was to die first in order to the firstfruit of the dead (e.g. 1 Corinthians 15:20) and that the disciples would follow his way, namely, indicating their martyrdoms.

And this is the background for the Gospel Reading for the 29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, Mark 10:35-45.

Perhaps, as their coping mechanism, in dealing with their increase anxiety and fear, as they moved toward Jerusalem with Jesus, James and his younger brother, John, acted in a way to trigger anger from the rest of the disciples. When we really do not know what to do with persistent fear and anxiety, we tend to do stupid things in order to cope.

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, asked Jesus to do a favor for them (Mark 10: 35). So, Jesus replied to them to tell to tell him what they would want him to do for them Mark 10:36). And these brothers, the sons of Zebedee, boldly asked Jesus, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left” (Mark 10:37).

It sounded like James and John wanted Jesus to elevate their positions above the level of the rest of the disciples.

Do we tend to expose our egoistic disposition when fear and anxiety dominate our minds?

So, Jesus said to these brothers:

You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? (Mark 10:38).

The cup that Jesus drinks and the baptism with which Jesus is baptized. What are these, really? Did James and John understand what Jesus meat by the cup and the baptism?

But, they replied to Jesus with “We can”, making them appear as if they would drink from the cup that Jesus drinks or they would be baptized with the baptism that Jesus would be baptized (Mark 10:39a).  The above response of Jesus to their request for a favor was something unexpected.  They hoped that Jesus would grant their wish for special places but Jesus asked them if they would drink from the cup that he drinks or be baptized with the baptism that I would be baptized. And Jesus knew that they did not know what they said “We can” for. So, he said:

The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared (Mark 10:39b-40).

In this statement, Jesus alluded to suffering that James and John would go through and the possibility of their martyrdom, as well. In fact, James (James the Greater) became the first martyred apostle, killed by Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:1-2) upon returning to Jerusalem from his mission in Hispania. As for his brother, John, the Scriptures did not mention if he was martyred. However, according to Papias of Hierapolis, John became a martyr, though the validity of Papias’ account has been debated. Jesus also made it clear that it is not him to decide who is to sit at his right or left because it is the prerogative of the Father to decide and prepare for. Jesus certainly respect the Father’s authority.

Then, having heard all this the rest of the disciples became angry at James and John (John 10:41). Probably, they also wanted Jesus to grant favored positions. It seemed that there were covert rivalries among the disciples. Of course, Jesus would let his disciples’ under-the-surface egocentric dispositions break their fraternal unity.

So, Jesus gathered his disciples and said:

You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:42-45).

In this statement, Jesus reminded the disciples that pastoral leadership, to which he was preparing them, is not like how Gentile rulers lord over their subjects. Rather, it is servant leadership – leading people by serving them. And in Jerusalem, just before he would enter his intense passion to die – before drinking from the cup of suffering and being baptized into death on the Cross, at the Supper of the Lord, Jesus demonstrated what it means to lead by serving through his foot-washing for his disciples (John 13:1-17). Indeed, Jesus, the Son of Man, came not to be served but to serve us for our redemption – to redeem us from Satan’s sphere of influence.

Jesus does not want us to be affected by Satan. And he understands we succumb to temptations that lead to sin because of Satan’s cunningness.  He also understands how difficult it is for us not to be impacted by Satan, whose evil has been enmeshed the humanity so deeply and pervasively.  So, the Father sent him to redeem and free us from Satan’s grip of sin.  And it was him to pay the ransom by drinking from the cup of suffering and by being baptized into death on the Cross – through his passion and death.

In the above words of Jesus to his disciples (Mark 10:42-45), we can also extract his hope for the disciples – for us to follow his way of servant leadership. For those who are called to serve as priests and bishops, as “in persona Christi”, in their pastoral leadership, it is even more so, rather than lording it over, even to drink from the cup of suffering that he has drunk from and to be baptized into death as he has been on the Cross. Therefore, there should not be arrogant and bossy Christian pastoral leaders. And it is not about who among pastoral leaders are to be recognized and reputed better than others. It is not about which priests are to be “promoted” to become bishops.

True pastoral leaders serve their people even as a slave serves his master, as Jesus put it hyperbolically  (Mark 10:44). And this is what Jesus meant by “many that are first will be last, and the last will be first”(Mark 10:31).

So, to follow Jesus to be trained to lead by serving, we need to denounce what our ego may grab and attach – whether it is material wealth (Mark 10:17-31) or favored privilege for selfish ambition (Mark 10:35-45). And this is how we can see the flow from the Gospel Reading for the 28^th Sunday (Mark 10:17-30) to the Gospel Reading for the 29^th Sunday (Mark 10:35-45).

Now you ask yourself: Can I drink from the cup that Jesus has drunk – the cup of suffering? ; Can I be baptized into death as Jesus was baptized into death on the Cross?; Am I willing to be a servant of those who I wish to lead with the Word of God, even it may mean to be treated like a slave, enduring suffering  to death?

These are questions I ask catechumens when I teach for their Sacrament of Confirmation and RCIA class. It is because we cannot say “yes” to Christ when we do not know or not sure. And this is an important lesson from James and John saying that they can drink from the cup of suffering and be baptized into death, even though they had no idea (Mark 10:38-40).

In the First Reading (Isaiah 53:10-11), which is an excerpt from the fourth servant song (Isaiah 52:13-53:12), we see how the cup of suffering that Jesus had drunk from and his baptism into death on the Cross has served as ransom for our redemption.

According to Father’s will (Mark 14:36), Jesus was baptized into death on the Cross, drinking from the cup of suffering – being crushed with pain (Isaiah 53:10a). And in his prophecy for Jesus’ cup of suffering and baptism into death, Isaiah sees Jesus as reparation offering (asham)(cf. Leviticus 5:14-26) for us (Isaiah 53:10b) – so that we would not be condemned for our sins (Isaiah 53:10c) but could be justified (Isaiah 53:11b), namely, redeemed because Jesus giving his life as ransom (Mark 10:45). And our justification – redemption is verified because of Jesus’ resurrection (Isaiah 53:11)! And this is a highlight of our Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:14)!  All of this (Jesus’ death and resurrection) was foretold by Jesus himself repeatedly (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34) ever since Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah (Mark 8:29).

The Second Reading (Hebrews 4:14-16) indicates that Jesus has served us as reparation offering (asham)(Isaiah 53:10b), as ransom (Mark 10:45), for our justification – “acquittal”(Isaiah 53:10c, 11b), by drinking from the cup of suffering and being baptized into death on the Cross (Mark 10:38-39), because of his compassion for us, sympathizing our weakness – the fact that we cannot free us from the sphere of Satan’s influence. So, it is calling us to approach Jesus for his throne of mercy humbly with our contrite heart and gratitude. Jesus exemplified priestly sacrifice for his subjects – us, the sinners – to have offered himself as reparation offering (ashem).

For this, we are forever grateful and see meaning to follow Jesus and to do as commanded by him, even it may require to drink from the cup of suffering that he has drunk from and to be baptized into death as he has been on the Cross. And we do not let our ego affect us.

Can you drink from the cup that Jesus has drunken from in Jerusalem? Can you be baptized with the baptism that he was baptized on the Cross? 

The way you answer these questions indicate how mature and strong your Christian faith is. 

St. Teresa of Avila: "Nada te Turbe, por que, Solo Dios Basta" , A Christian Life of Contentment in Secure Attachment to God

 

Are you content and at peace, therefore, living fully at any given moment in life?

Or is there something lacking in your life, therefore, feeling anxious and insecure?

St. Irenaeus said, “Gloria enim Dei vivens homo, vita autem hominis visio Dei”. Basically, the glory of God is a man fully alive, and the life of man is the vision of God. This was quoted by Pope St. John Paul II in his address to general audience on April 5, 2000.

Basically, we live on this earth for the glory of God by seeking goodness in each other. So, Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please all men in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved (1 Corinthians 10:31-33).

And Peter wrote:

Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:8-11).

Now we can understand that to live a Christian life of contentment and peace, living a life given by God fully, means to love one another (1 Peter 4:8), as commanded by Christ (John 13:34-35) so that we seek the good in each other (1 Corinthians 10:24, 33), serving one another with the strengths supplied by God (1 Peter 4:11).

To live a life fully for the glory of God, leading a life of continent and peace, not letting fear and anxiety, jealousy and envy, bother, we must stay in touch with – better yet, we must be securely attached to the source of our strengths: God.

And this is testified and verified with the life of St. Teresa of Avila (Santa Teresa de Avila), whose memorial feast is celebrated on October 15.

St. Teresa of Avila (Santa Teresa de Avila) was a fervent seeker and reformer within the Church in the 16th century Spain, contemporary to St. John of the Cross and St. Ignatius of Loyola. She is also one of a Doctor Ecclesiae Universalis as Doctor Orationis.  In fact, she is recognized as the first female doctor of the Church for her excellence of prayer.

Through this well-known poetic form of Teresa’s prayer, “Nada te Turbe” (Nothing to Disturb), we can understand and reflect how we can live a life fully for the glory of God, being free from disturbance, even facing challenges. 

Nada te turbe,

Nada te espante,

Todo se pasa,

Dios no se muda,

 

La paciencia

Todo lo alcanza;

Quien a Dios tiene

Nada le falta:

Sólo Dios basta.

 

Eleva el pensamiento,

al cielo sube,

por nada te acongojes,

Nada te turbe.

 

A Jesucristo sigue

con pecho grande,

y, venga lo que venga,

Nada te espante.

 

¿Ves la gloria del mundo?

Es gloria vana;

nada tiene de estable,

Todo se pasa.

 

Aspira a lo celeste,

que siempre dura;

fiel y rico en promesas,

Dios no se muda.

 

Ámala cual merece

Bondad inmensa;

pero no hay amor fino

Sin la paciencia.

 

Confianza y fe viva

mantenga el alma,

que quien cree y espera

Todo lo alcanza.

 

Del infierno acosado

aunque se viere,

burlará sus furores

Quien a Dios tiene.

 

Vénganle desamparos,

cruces, desgracias;

siendo Dios su tesoro,

Nada le falta.

Id, pues, bienes del mundo;

id, dichas vanas,

aunque todo lo pierda,

Sólo Dios basta.

Santa Teresa de Avila, “Nada te Turbe”

The first stanza is often sung. So, you may be familiar with this:

Nada te turbe,

Nada te espante,

Todo se pasa,

Dios no se muda,

Nothing disturbs, nothing frightens, even though everything passes, because God does not change. God does not change and pass, because, as St. Thomas Aquinas argued in Summa Thelogiae (I-Q9), God is immutable.

In order not let worldly things – earthly things – which are in impermanence, disturb us, we need to hang on to – to seek refuge in the immutable and constant being, and God is the one.

La paciencia

Todo lo alcanza;

Quien a Dios tiene

Nada le falta:

Sólo Dios basta.

But, we need to be patient in order to find our refuge in God.  With patience, we can reach anything. So, those who are with God lacks nothing. God alone is enough.  In fact the second stanza, especially in regard to “Quien a Dios tiene, nada le falta: Solo Dios basta”, makes a good reflection of David’s Psalm of seeking refuge in God, who is also his Shepherd, Psalm 23. By letting Yahweh be his shepherd to guide, he has nothing lacking and nothing to fear. So, he seeks his dwelling in God, who is rich in mercy.

Eleva el pensamiento,

al cielo sube,

por nada te acongojes,

Nada te turbe

So, we raise our thoughts to heaven, where God resides, letting nothing inflict and  cause us to suffer. Yes, God alone is enough.

A Jesucristo sigue

con pecho grande,

y, venga lo que venga,

Nada te espante.

To Jesus, we follow, with our open chest held high, to embrace him. And whatever may come cannot frightens us. It is a sign of our confidence in God, whom we seek.

¿Ves la gloria del mundo?

Es gloria vana;

nada tiene de estable,

Todo se pasa.

Do you see glory in the world? It is a vain glory, as it has no stability. It will pass.

Aspira a lo celeste,

que siempre dura;

fiel y rico en promesas,

Dios no se muda.

Aspire to heaven as it always remains stable. Faithful and rich in promises, God does not change, as He is immutable.

Ámala cual merece

Bondad inmensa;

pero no hay amor fino

Sin la paciencia.

Love as deserve, immense in goodness; but no fine love without patience.

Teresa is reflecting the fine love with patience in light of 1 Corinthians 1:4-8.

Confianza y fe viva

mantenga el alma,

que quien cree y espera

Todo lo alcanza.

Trust and living faith maintain the soul. Whoever believe and hope can achieve everything.

Here, Teresa reflects on hope in connection to living faith. So, we trust in God, who is God of hope, as we may overflow with hope and joy by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

Del infierno acosado

aunque se viere,

burlará sus furores

Quien a Dios tiene.

Even harassed from hell, even seeing it, one who is with God cannot be caught in it but will laugh hard at it.  Here, we see Teresa’s sense of humor, stemming from her faith in God.

Vénganle desamparos,

cruces, desgracias;

siendo Dios su tesoro,

Nada le falta.

One may feel deserted, crosses and disgraces, s/he lacks nothing as God is his/her treasure.

Id, pues, bienes del mundo;

id, dichas vanas,

aunque todo lo pierda,

Sólo Dios basta.

Let go, then, worldly goodness and false teachings. Though everything may be lost, God alone is enough.

The last stanza is something that the law-abiding rich man, who was saddened when Jesus asked him to sell all of his possessions for the poor in order to inherit eternal life (Mark 10:17-22), should have taken to his heart. It is not even the law per se to save (e.g. Romans 3:20) – unless we are in Christ. So, Paul has written:

Hence, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death  (Romans 8:1-2). In order to find true freedom, true contentment, true peace, and true security, in Christ, who is God the Son, we may need to let go of every worldly things (id, pues, bienes del mundo). Not to mention, we need to let go of heresies (id, dichas vanas), because “Solo Dios basta”.

Letting go of every worldly thing for contentment and peace, free from disturbance….this prayer message of St. Theresa of Avila is echoed in this prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola, found in his Spiritual Exercises (Los ejercicios espirituales de San Ignacio de Loyola, 234.

Suscipe, Domine, universam meam libertatem. Accipe memoriam, intellectum, atque voluntatem omnem. Quidquid habeo vel possideo mihi largitus es; id Tibi totum restituo, ac Tuae prorsus voluntati trado gubernandum. Amorem Tui solum cum gratia Tua mihi dones, et dives sum satis, nec aliud quidquam ultra posco.

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, All I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me.

Amorem Tui solum cum gratia Tua mihi dones, et dives sum satis, nec aliud quidquam ultra posco.  Only love and grace of God. Nothing else. Grace and love of God make us rich. So, why do we need all other things?

Teresa must have experienced uncontainable groaning deep within, perhaps hitting her like a labor pain. Her heart aches for Christ. So, led by the Holy Spirit, she embarked on her pilgrimage journey out of her groaning of heart, seeking Christ to be united. This is reflected in the First Reading (Romans 8:22-27). Out of her groaning in yearning for God, Teresa embarked on her spiritual pilgrimage journey to seek Christ. And this journey is reflected in her work, “El Castillo Interior”(The Interior Castle). This journey, punctuated with the seven mansions, is to be united with Christ, while purifying herself in moving toward him. In a way, she represents the Church to be the bride of Christ (Revelation 19:6-9; 22:17).

In the seventh mansion, Teresa finds herself in the mystical union with Christ, spiritual marriage. And in this union, St. Teresa of Avila finds herself in Christ, truly feeling, “Nada te turbe, por que, estoy en Dios el Cristo, en union con mi Rey. Solo Dios basta” (Nothing to disturb, because I am in God the Christ, in union with my King. God alone is enough.

The Gospel Reading (John 15:1-8) reflects Teresa’s state of being in the seventh mansion on her journey in the Interior Castle, where she found and united herself with Christ, at the seventh mansion in her journey of El Castillo Interior (The Interior Castle).

Perhaps, Jesus was speaking to Teresa as she found him in the seventh mansion, to be in union with him – to be in him, these words spoken in the Gospel Reading.

Jesus the Christ is the true vine, and the Father is the vine grower (John 15:1).

As Teresa has listened to the Word of God through Christ, she was pruned – purified – in order to bear abundant fruit of the Holy Spirit. And this is how the Father prunes His beloved vine branches, through the works of His Son.  (i.e. John 15:2-3).

Now, Jesus says to Teresa:

Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are my beloved vine branch. You remain in me and I in you will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing  (i.e. John 15:4-5).

Those who cling to worldly things, like money, and listen to heretical teachings, rather than seeking Christ and his Kingdom and the Word of God, are like branches cut off and thrown into fire. Those branches fell out of the vines are affected by satan (σατανᾶς /satanas; שָׂטָן /satan), which has a connotation to “adversity” or “affliction”.  As devil (διάβολος /diabolos), satan slanders to cut us off from God. In order for us not to be cut off by the slander of satan, Christ calls Teresa to remain in him (John 15:4). Again, he calls her to remain in him, for the Word of God to remain in her so that she can live fully for the glory of God:

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples (John 15:7-8).

The Word of God is a seed to grow in secure heart grafted in God for abundant fruition. And this is how we live a life fully for the glory of God. This is a life free from disturbance. But, for us to attain such a life of contentment and peace, we must let go of everything – every worldly thing to which we may be tempted to attach ourselves to. The only being for us to attach ourselves is God – God alone. And this is how St. Teresa of Avila lived her life, finding Christ, finding herself securely attached to him, as she remained in him, and the Word of God is in her, growing into abundant fruition, for the glory of God.

Como dijo Santa Teresa de Avila en su oracion poetica, si, solo Dios basta y nada tu turbe.

St. Teresa of Avila lived her life fully as she found Christ and found herself in him in the seventh mansion upon her journey through El Castillo Interior (The Interior Castle).

Psychologically, she attained the state of “nada te turbe” because of her secure attachment to Christ. As John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth argued that those who established secure attachment with mothers or whoever their primary caregivers during infancy are more likely to enjoy “nada te turbe” kind of life (Bretherton, 1992)*, it is certainly so in finding secure attachment with God, as in the case of St. Teresa of Avila.  As Beck (2006)** sees the applicability of the attachment theory of Bowlby and Ainsworth to the paradigm of attachment to God, it makes sense to see research evidence to show content life associated with secure attachment with God among Christians (Miner et al,, 2014)***.

*

Bretherton, I. (1992). The Origins of Attachment Theory: John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, Developmental Psychology, 28, 759-775

**

Beck, R. (2006). God as a Secure Base: Attachment to God and Theological Exploration, Journal of Psychology and Theology, 34(2), 125-132

***

Miner, M., Dowson, M., and Malone, K. (2014). Attachment to God, Psychological Need Satisfaction, and Psychological Well-Being Among Christians, Journal of Psychology and Theology, 42(4), 326–342