Memorial of the Martyrdom of John the Baptist, the Voice of the Righteousness Crying Out in the Judean Wilderness

The Catholic Church commemorates the martyrdom of John the Baptist on August 29.  

As the Gospel Reading of his memorial, Mark 6:17-29, describes, John the Baptist spoke against Herod Antipas’ adulterous relationship with Herodias, who was a wife of his brother, Herod II, also known as, Herod Philipp I, saying, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife “(Mark 6:18).

Herod Antipas was a son of Herod the Great with his fourth wife, Malthace, while Herodias, was a daughter of Aristobulus IV and Berenice. And Aristobulus IV is a son of Herod the Great and his second wife, Mariamne I. Therefore, Herodias was Herod Antipas’ niece. And Herodias was married to Herod Antipas’ half-brother, Herod II, also known as Herod Philip. So, Herod Antipas committed adultery with his niece, as well as, his half-brother’s wife. Thus, John the Baptist was speaking against Herod Antipas’ great sin, which is in violation of Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 20:10, and Leviticus 18:16 in particular.

Because of this, Herod Antipas imprisoned John the Baptist but was afraid to kill him, though had wanted to, knowing that John the Baptist was a righteous and holy man (Mark 6:19-20). It is intriguing that Herod Antipas rather liked to listen to John the Baptist, though being perplexed by his words (Mark 6:20). Herod Antipas had wanted to silence John the Baptist for having spoken against his adulterous relation with Herodias. But at the same time, there was something in this evil man’s heart not to kill this righteous spokesperson.

However, Herod Antipas’ chance of conversion ended as the earthly life of John the Baptist was abruptly terminated by his order during his birthday party.

During his birthday banquet, because his step daughter, Salome, so pleased him with her dance, Herod Antipas said to her, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.  I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom” (Mark 6:22-23).

Then, Salome, consulted her mother, Herodias, and she told her daughter to ask Herod Antipas to give her the head of John the Baptist served on the platter (Mark 6:24-25). To this, Herod Antipas was deeply distressed but promptly ordered to behead John the Baptist to keep his face (Mark 6:26-27). And the head of John the Baptist was brought to Salome, as if to serve dinner on the plate, and she brought it to her mother, Herodias (Mark 6:28). The disciples of John the Baptist took the rest of the body and laid it in a tomb (Mark 6:29).

This is how John the Baptist was martyred. This is how evil, against which he spoke, killed him.

The evil is more of Herodias than Herod Antipas, as it was her to conspire her daughter, Salome, to ask Herod Antipas, to give her the head of John the Baptist on the platter. And when she asked him for the head of John the Baptist, his initial reaction was “in distress”. In fact, in the original Greek text, “περίλυπος(perilupos)” is used, as Herod Antipas’ reaction. This Greek adjective rather means “greatly sorrowful or grieved”, as it contains the word, “λύπη(lupe)”, which means pain and affliction. By the way, the English word, lupus, which is the name of a painful autoimmune disease, is etymologically derived not from this Greek word, lupe, but the Latin word, lupus, which means a devouring wolf, though some may think of these words to be associated.

The fact that Mark uses the Greek word, “περίλυπος(perilupos)”, to express Herod Antipas’ reaction to a prospect of beheading John the Baptist indicates that there was a certain degree of reluctance to killing him. There must have been something about Herod Antipas deep in his heart to keep listening to this righteous man, whom he had held in custody. But his need to maintain his face, keeping a promise to his stepdaughter, as the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, which he inherited from his father, Herod the Great, overrode his moral reluctance to completely silence the righteous voice of John the Baptist, prompted by the evil of Herodias.

Later on, Roman governor of Pontius Pilate, would go through some initial reluctance to kill Jesus, whom he found innocent and even thought of releasing, before ordering his soldiers to execute him (i.e, John 18:28-19:16; Matthew 27:11-26).  

Herod Antipas did not necessarily want to kill John the Baptist but he ended up killing him because of his fear of losing his face was greater than his reluctance to losing the voice of righteousness. Pontius Pilate did not desire to kill a man whom he found innocent in his judgement, but commanded to execute him as a criminal, because of his fear of the Jews and the prospect of being seen as not loyal to Caesar for not killing an enemy to Caesar. Both of these men killed sources of the righteous voice, in spite of their initial hesitation, because their distressed hearts easily let them succumbed to the force of evil.

In contrast, the heart of John the Baptist remained impervious to distress caused by evil. Nothing could shake the heart of John the Baptist. Not even a prospect of death for speaking the righteous voice against evil.  Such firmness of the heart to remain a source of the righteous voice against evil is reflected in the First Reading (Jeremiah 1:17-19). These words, spoken by God, to Jeremiah, was to strengthen the shaky heart of this prophet. Perhaps, John the Baptist had heard such encouraging voice of God, as he was already filled with the Holy Spirit before his birth, while he was still in the womb of his mother, Elizabeth (Luke 1:15).

Otherwise, he would not have been a martyr as the forerunner of Jesus.

Ever since before their respective births, Jesus and his cousin, John the Baptist, who was six-month ahead Jesus, have been closely related.  

Archangel Gabriel not only announced Mary of the virgin conception of the Son of the Almighty God but also the surprise pregnancy of her elder cousin, Elizabeth (Luke 1:35-37). And the child growing in Elizabeth’s womb was John the Baptist. This prompted Mary to visit Elizabeth and care for her (Luke 1:39-40).

Mary, the Mother of God the Son, took care of John the Baptist while he was still in the womb his mother Elizabeth, as she took care of her pregnant cousin for three months, while she herself just became pregnant (Luke 1:56). And at Mary’s greetings, John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy, recognizing not only Mary’s visit but Jesus in her womb (Luke 1:41).

Even before his birth, John the Baptist had been related with Jesus, not just because they were cousins, but rather to serve as the forerunner of Jesus for the preparation for Jesus’ salvific ministry to begin. This is why John the Baptist was the voice of God’s righteousness, crying out in the Judean wilderness, to prepare the way of Christ to come, by prompting to repent and baptizing repentant sinners, while pointing to the coming of Christ and his judgement and strongly rebuking unrepentant sinners, as well as, hypocrites (Matthew 3:1-12). And it was John the Baptist, who took a great part in commissioning Jesus for his salvific ministry by baptizing him, in order to have the Father in heaven to anoint him with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:13-17). This way, as the last prophet under the old covenant, John the Baptist served as the transitory bridge from the old covenant to the new covenant, which was brought by Jesus (Luke 22:20).

The Church certainly honors this righteous spokesperson of God and the forerunner of the incarnated Christ, whose heart was steadfast because being filled with the Holy Spirit.  Though his mortal body was destroyed by a spiritually and morally coward man, Herod Antipas, who was plagued by evil, the life of John the Baptist prevails for Christ’s glory has manifested in his body (i.e. 2 Corinthians 4:7-10). 

The voice of the righteousness cried out by John the Baptist from the Judean wilderness was amplified by his cousin, Jesus, through his public ministry, passed on to his disciples. And they continued to speak this voice of the righteousness to build the nascent Church. And by virtue of our Baptism and Confirmation, we shall speak the voice of the righteousness against evil in the world, even in imprisonment to be killed by evil persons. 

God’s Choice of Peter (Petros) as the Vicar of Christ , the Foundational "Petra" of the Church – Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

The Gospel Reading (Matthew 16:13-20) captures a pivotal moment during Jesus’ public ministry and his relationship with the disciples because it was when the Father in heaven chose Peter, to whom He revealed the Christological truth of Jesus (Matthew 16:17), so that he could proclaim it. It was significant because Jesus, in response to Peter’s proclamation of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16), declared his intention to build the Church, calling Simon “Peter”, to whom he gave the keys of the Kingdom of heaven. And this took place in Caesarea Philippi.

In connection to the First Reading (Isaiah 22:19-23), which is about God replacing Shebna with Eliakim to serve as the key holder of the House of David, it the Gospel Reading (Matthew 16:13-20) is not only about Jesus’ declaration to build his Church (Matthew 16:18) but choosing Peter as the holder of the keys of his Kingdom (Matthew 16:19).

What does the key mean in the context of the First Reading (Isaiah 22:19-23) and the Gospel Reading (Matthew 16:13-20)?

Pope Benedict XVI gives a clear explanation:

Let us move on now to the symbol of the keys, which we heard about in the Gospel. It echoes the oracle of the prophet Isaiah concerning the steward Eliakim, of whom it was said: “And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open” (Is 22:22). The key represents authority over the house of David. And in the Gospel there is another saying of Jesus addressed to the scribes and the Pharisees, whom the Lord reproaches for shutting off the kingdom of heaven from people (cf. Mt 23:13). This saying also helps us to understand the promise made to Peter: to him, inasmuch as he is the faithful steward of Christ’s message, it belongs to open the gate of the Kingdom of Heaven, and to judge whether to admit or to refuse (cf. Rev 3:7). Hence the two images – that of the keys and that of binding and loosing – express similar meanings which reinforce one another. The expression “binding and loosing” forms part of rabbinical language and refers on the one hand to doctrinal decisions, and on the other hand to disciplinary power, that is, the faculty to impose and to lift excommunication. The parallelism “on earth … in the heavens” guarantees that Peter’s decisions in the exercise of this ecclesial function are valid in the eyes of God.

Homily on the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, June 29, 2012

As Pope Benedict XVI explained through the above words, the key that Jesus gave Peter represents the binding authority over opening and closing the gate of the Kingdom. Peter’s role as the holder of the keys given by Jesus is prototyped by Eliakim’s service to Hezekiah, a Davidic king of the time, as the king’s entrusted key holder of the Davidic kingdom, Judah.

In connection to the key of David (Revelation 3:7), Jesus, the Davidic Christ King, is the ultimate holder of the authority to decide who are to be in and not to be in his Kingdom. And the House of David (Isaiah 22:22) is considered to be a prototype of the Church on earth (Matthew 16:18), which leads to the eternal Davidic Kingdom (Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:32-33) with its capitol, New Jerusalem (Revelation 3:12; 21:9-27). This implies that Jesus chose Peter to serve as the Vicar of Christ by giving his authority, the keys of his Kingdom, until his return as the King of the Universe.

So, why Peter, then?

It was because of this Peter (Simon) was able to proclaim that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16), as the Father chose him to reveal the Christological truth of His begotten Son, (Matthew 16:17), Jesus entrusted his keys to Peter in proclaiming to build his Church on earth.

Jesus said to Peter:

I say to you, you are Peter (Πέτρος/Petros), and upon this rock (πέτρᾳ/petra) I will build my church and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). 

There has been a debate among scholars what Jesus meant by “upon this rock”. Does this rock means Peter, or the rock from which water springs in Caesarea Philippi?

Protestant scholars who do not view Peter as the first Pope, Vicar of Christ, deny that “this rock” on which Jesus builds his Church is not Peter, whose name means “rock”. And their argument to deny Peter as the foundational rock of the Church is attributed to petros and petra in Greek are not the same. And they would say that Matthew would have used the same Greek word for Peter and rock if Jesus had meant to put Peter as the foundation of the Church.

This argument seems plausible as long as you literally interpret these Greek words, because petros, which is muscular, refers to a relatively small and isolated rock, while petra, which is feminine, means a large rock, like the rock, from which water flows to the Jordan River. But Catholic hermeneutics is different from such a Protestant view. For the Catholics, we believe that Matthew avoided using the same Greek word in the same sentence, though Jesus really meant to see Peter as the foundational rock of the Church that he builds.

According to the Greek word to name him, Petros, Peter is a small rock as a person. But, as the Vicar of Christ, he is not a small man (small rock) because this position with authority makes him the foundational rock. Does this kind of exegesis contradict a hermeneutics of Greek text? I personally think that it does not at all. After all, Jesus was not saying that he would build his Church on a rock, literally but rather metaphorically, as the word, petra, is used in Jesus’ parable of the stable house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-25). So, Jesus entrusts Peter to serve as the foundational rock, so that the Church which he builds, will be the stable House of David on earth.

The solid rock foundation keeps the power of death from prevailing over the Church. This is ascertained by Christ’s victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). It means Peter, the first Vicar of Christ, and his successors, Popes, are to save as many souls as possible, in their pastoral works, so that the Church becomes the refuge from the power of death, which was brought by the sin of Adam (Romans 5:12-13). In this context, death means death of soul. As the Canon Law concludes, the Church’s ultimate purpose is salus animarum (salvation of souls)(Canon 1752), the rock (petra) on which the Church is built keeps death from prevailing over our souls. This way, the Church on earth will enjoy being the eternal Davidic Kingdom (House of David), where there is no death (Revelation 21:4), upon her nuptial union with Christ the King (Revelation19:7-9; 21:1-2).

To choose him to serve as the foundational rock of the Church, Jesus gives his binding authority to Peter:

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19).

As God chose Eliakim to be the key holder of the House of David during the reign of Hezekiah, upon expelling Shebna from the position (Isaiah 22:19-23), Jesus now chooses Peter to hold his keys to the Kingdom of heaven, which is the eternal House of David (Davidic Kingdom).

Why did Jesus entrust his keys to Peter?

It was because the Father chose Peter to reveal who Jesus really is, being the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16-17).

Shebna was removed from the position of the key holder because of his abuse of this authority with his egoistic interest (Isaiah 22:15-19). Had Peter were like Shebna, neither the Father nor Jesus, the Son, would not have chosen Peter, to whom the Christological truth to be revealed and the keys of the Kingdom to be entrusted.

As Pope Benedict XVI explained in the aforementioned homily, the keys given to Peter by Jesus symbolizes the binding authority. It means, as the first Vicar of Christ, the authority entrusted by Jesus to Peter’s judgements on earth has the binding effects to heaven. And Peter and his successor cannot neither abuse nor misuse this authority.

Peter was actually not fit to serve as the holder of the keys, at that time, because he failed to keep himself abided to Jesus as his faith as not yet as strong as petra (Matthew 26:69-75). And Jesus knew this problem (Matthew 26:34-35). But he also knew that Peter was sincere with his burning desire to remain in him until his death (Matthew 26:33). What Peter (Petros) needed to become the petra, as Jesus desired, was the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. And as Luke describes in the Acts of the Apostles, Peter upon receiving the Holy Spirit, on Pentecost, remained abided to Christ as the Vicar of Christ, becoming the petra foundation of the nascent Church. In fact, the Church began growing out of his Pentecost testimony (Acts 2:14-47).

It was the Father who first saw this in Peter for revealing the truth about His only begotten Son, as the Christ (Matthew 16:17). This truth is only revealed by God to those whom He chooses. Thus, it is not something humans can find, as reflected in the Second Reading (Romans 11:33-36). It is inscrutable to humans, as Paul wrote (Romans 11:33). This is why neither the public nor the other disciples could tell exactly who Jesus is (Matthew 16:13-15).

The Phoenician Woman's Persistent Plea to Jesus for Her Daughter: Exemplary as Gentile's Faith

 In the Gospel Reading of the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle , Matthew15:21-28, we find Jesus and his disciples outside the area where the Israelites were predominant residents. It was he who came to the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon in Phenicia, which is not spiritually clean to the Israelites. So, why did Jesus come to such a pagan region?

What preceded Jesus’ visit to the region of Tyre and Sidon was rebuking the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, who came all the way from Jerusalem to criticize Jesus’ disciples not observing the purity tradition of the elders (Matthew 15:1-20), upon healing many in Galilee (Matthew 14:34-36), following feeding the great crowd out of five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14:1-21) and crossing the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:22-33). Jesus was keenly aware that growing hostility of the Jewish leaders, such as the Pharisees, toward him. In fact, the Pharisees had already began thinking of killing him for healing a man with a withered hand on a Sabbath day (Matthew 12:9-14). Perhaps, Jesus decided to seek a respite in a region where he would not face hostility, because the Pharisees would not come to a region of the Gentiles.

Being away from the Pharisees in a pagan region for a while, the one who found Jesus was not a Pharisee but a Phoenician woman, begging him to heal her demon-possessed daughter, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon” (Matthew 15:22). To this, Jesus remained silent, while the disciples asked him to send her away (Matthew 15:23). Then Jesus opened his mouth and said:

I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24).

Here, Jesus reminded her that God’s salvific and redemptive priority is on His first chosen people, the Jews, especially the Jews who had fallen away from their faith. This is why Jesus said these words to his disciples in sending them on mission:

Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6).

Does this mean that Jesus did not care about the salvation of the Gentiles? Of course not. Otherwise, Jesus would contradict the spirit of the First Reading (Isaiah 56:1, 6-7) and the Second Reading (Romans 11:13-15, 29-32), in which we are assured of God’s salvation to all the faithful, both the Jews and the Gentiles, so that all nations will praise God, as sung in the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8).

Jesus first let his disciples work on the lost Jews (Matthew 10:5-6). But, it was to train them to be sent out to all nations to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). This way, to bring “other sheep” to be brought into his fold (John 10:16), as he send his disciples on the apostolic mission, with the leadership of Peter (John 21:15-17) so that all those who believe, both the Jews and the Gentiles, shall be one with the Triune God (John 17:20-23) and the House of God is the house of prayer for all people (Isaiah 56:7).

This is why Paul wrote:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: for Jew first, and then Greek (Romans 1:16).

Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them (Romans 11:13-14).

But, when Jesus came to the region of Tyre and Sidon, as Jesus said, God’s salvific ministry was primarily to redeem the lost Israelites. And Jesus reminded the Phoenician woman of this.

In response, did this Gentile woman give up on her appeal for her daughter, just because it was not time of God’s salvation for the non-Jews yet?

No. She begged Jesus again, saying, “Lord, help me”(Matthew 15:25).

Though she was not asking for herself but for her daughter. Yet, she asked Jesus to help “her”. It means that she embodies her daughter’s great need of Jesus in her intercession for her.

In response to her second plea for his mercy, Jesus further challenged her, saying:

It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs (Matthew 15:26).

Jews looked down Gentiles, assuming that they did not believe in God Almighty as they engaged in idol worship. So, they called them “dog”. But, here, Jesus did not regarded Gentiles like her derogatorily just because he indicated her as one of “dogs” in the eyes of the Jews.

In the original Greek text, Matthew uses “κυνάριον/kunarion”, which means “house dog”, instead of “kύων/kuon” (e.g. Matthew 7:6; 16:21; Philippians 3:2; Revelation 22:15), which has a nuance of a filthy dog outside the house, eating garbage. By calling faithful Gentiles, like her, “house dogs”, Jesus was not necessarily insulting her but simply acknowledging her as not Jew but Gentile to be brought into the House of God, to be with the children of Israel.

So, she responded with her persistency in her plea for her daughter without protesting Jesus’ acknowledgement of her as Gentile, saying, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters (Matthew 15:27).

With the above reply to Jesus, the Phoenician woman hoped that Jesus would see her and her daughter inside the House of God, enjoying the same salvific benefits, first given to the children of Israel, after first given to them. This shows not only her steadfast faith that withstands any tests and her humility. She did not ask Jesus to treat her and her daughter equal to the Jews. She respects that God’s salvation first brought to the Jews, the children of Israel,  then to the faithful Gentiles, “κυναρίοις/kunarioris” (obedient house dog), to be with the children. In regard to her faith, she acknowledged Jesus as the Son of David (Matthew 15:22). It suggests that she had actively studied the Jewish Scriptures and reached the conclusion that the salvation is only through the Messiah, who draws the Davidic lineage (Isaiah 11:10-11; Jeremiah 23:5-6). And her persistency in appealing to Jesus for her daughter echoes Jesus' teaching on prayer with perseverance (Luke 11:5-8).

So, her steadfast faith and humility let Jesus's salvific power break the barrier between the Jews and the Gentiles with these words:

O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish (Matthew 15:28).

The Phoenician woman represents us, who are not Jews by birth, but adopted as the children of God through Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit (Galatians 4:3-7), thought regarded not as children but rather “house dogs” first (Matthew 15:26). Now, we must ask ourselves to make sure that we are bound to the House of God as children of God, praising Him in the light of salvation:

Is our faith as strong as the Phoenician woman to endure all trials?

Are we as humble as the Phoenician woman, who did not feel jealous of those who had a privilege she did not?

Do we take up any challenges out of compassion for others in need in seeking Christ, as the Phoenician woman did for her daughter? 

St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe: An Exemplary Christian Life of Agape

The Catholic Church honors the heroic life of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe on August 14.

Imagine, you are arrested by certain political authorities and sent to a death prison because of you have sharply criticized the political authorities on the moral ground, out of your conscience, rooted in your Christian faith. Then, how would you respond to this? Would you resist the arrest by force, though you know you may be shot? Or would you rather surrender yourself to the evil hands of the authority? And in the death prison, how do you see yourself spending days until you are called for an execution?

This is a fitting reflection on the memorial feast of a St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar, who died in the Auschwitz concentration camp on August 14, 1941.

You may wonder how this Polish Catholic priest ended up dying in the Nazi death camp, if you are not familiar with him.

Maximilian was arrested on February 17, 1941, by the Nazi Gestapo and sent to the Auschwitz death camp because of his anti-Nazi publications and sheltering Jews in his monastery in the Nazi-occupied Poland. In Auschwitz, he was reduced to his prisoner number, 16670.

Because his father was German, Maximilian was offered to acknowledge his rights equal to a German citizen, he refused to sign Deutsche Volksliste, the document that guaranteed the equal right to a German citizen. For him, it made no sense to save his own life because of his “privilege” to have a German father, when his father’s country at that time occupied his country, Poland, and exterminate Jews and anyone who were deemed as “anti-Nazi”. His conscience did not allow that.

It was said that the only way to get out of the Auschwitz concentration camp was through one of the chimneys of the crematoriums that burned corpses of executed “prisoners”. And their “crimes” to be sent to this death camp to be killed by the Nazi? Being a Jew or being anti-Nazi or being deemed as “unworthy to live” by the Nazi authorities. Those who tried to escape were caught and executed. However, there were some “prisoners” managed to escape and reported what had been taking place in the camp.

When Maximilian was in Auschwitz, her was put to a forced hard labor, carrying heavy rocks and bricks to build more crematoriums. He was often singled out by an evil supervisor, subjected beatings. But Maximian bore such abuses with calmness as to reflect these words of Christ from his Sermon on the Mount:

You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well (Matthew 5:38-39).

Can you submit yourself to such abusive injustice without resisting or fighting back, as Christ commands us with the above words of his, as St. Maximilian Kolbe did in Auschwitz?

While Maximilian continued to spend his days for forced hard labor, the deputy commander ordered to send ten prisoners to a starvation chamber, because of an allegation that three “prisoners” escaped. So, 10 “prisoners” were selected to be condemned as a “punishment” for the escape. Then, one of them cried out for his wife and children. In response to this, Maximilian was moved with his compassion for this crying man and approached a Nazi commander and said, “I am a Catholic priest from Poland; I would like to take his place because he has a wife and children.”  And the Nazi commander accepted Maximilian’s offer of his life in place for the crying condemned “prisoner”.  Thus, he volunteered to die for his fellow “prisoner”, also, for this “prisoner’s” wife and children. And while he was in the starvation chamber, Maximilian Kolbe continued to console those who were condemned to death by ways of starvation with him, until his death.

The Church honors St. Maximilian Kolbe as an exemplary Saint to embody these words of Christ:

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13).

It is Jesus, the Christ, who exemplified this as the Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep (John 10:11). And in Auschwitz, it was St. Maximilian Kolbe, who imitated Christ to save his fellow “prisoner”, who was “condemned”.

The “prisoner” condemned by the Nazi but saved by the greatest love of St. Maximilian Kolbe survived in Auschwitz until the liberation. And he testified for him:

I could only thank him with my eyes. I was stunned and could hardly grasp what was going on. The immensity of it: I, the condemned, am to live and someone else willingly and voluntarily offers his life for me – a stranger. Is this some dream? I was put back into my place without having had time to say anything to Maximilian Kolbe. I was saved. And I owe to him the fact that I could tell you all this.

The First Reading (Wisdom 3:1-9) is fitting to honor a life of this martyred Saint, St, Maximilian Kolbe, as this reading reminds that the souls of the righteous are unharmed because they are kept in God’s hands, even though they go through martyrs’ death. Only those who are foolish in the eyes of God regard these Saints as dead. This reading also teaches us that those heroic martyred Saints were able to bear death and great suffering preceding to it because they trust in God’s providential hands of their souls. Certainly, there is no question about the steadfastness of St. Maximilian Kolbe’s faith. This is why he remained calm in submitting himself to the evil hands’ brutal abuse and offering his life as a redemptive sacrifice for a “condemned” fellow “prisoner”.

The optional First Reading (1 John 3:14-18) calls us to love one another, as exemplified by Christ. And this reading also gives a reason why we are called to live a life of love of Christ. The reason is that it was Christ himself who laid his life to save us. So, as those who are saved by his sacrifice, we are to propagate his love by observing his new commandment of loving one another as he had (John 10:34) and even to lay down our lives to save others, as exemplified by St. Maximilian Kolbe.

As reminded by the Gospel Reading to honor the heroic life of sacrificial love of St. Maximilian Kolbe (John 15:12-16), Christ has chosen us to bear fruits of agape, selfless love for others. And those who take Christ’s new commandment to love one another, to the level of laying down one’s life for another person bears fruits of love so abundantly, as with the case of St. Maximilian Kolbe.

St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe’s way to fight evil was not take up arms against the Nazi. It was simply to imitate Christ, fighting evil with love, as commanded by Christ. And God’s providential care has kept his soul unharmed from the evil.

Let Us Get Out of Our Security Zone and Walk on a Risky Path Toward the Lord! - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Immediately following the narrative of Jesus’ multiplication of the loaves and fish to feed the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21), the Gospel Reading of the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A (Matthew 14:22-33) describes Jesus’ supernatural act of walking on the stormy water of the Sea of Galilee and how the disciples reacted to this. There are two main themes in contrast: Jesus walking on the stormy water, which shows Jesus’ divine supernatural power, and Peter’s fear, which reflects human weakness.

This comparison is also found in the narrative of Jesus calming the storm in response to the disciples’ fear (Matthew 8:23-27). In that incident, Jesus was with them on the same boat but sleeping and not disturbed at all, while the disciples were in panic and waking him up. They begged him to save them from drowning (Matthew 8:25). In response, he pointed out that they were afraid because of their little faith (Matthew 8:26).

Jesus’ supernatural divine power, storm, and the disciples’ fear, are three main factors that run across these two Gospel narratives of Matthew 8:23-27 and Matthew 14:22-33.

After feeding the five thousand people miraculously out of five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14:13-21), Jesus dismissed the crowd and had his disciples get on the boat so that he could be alone to pray to the Father on the mountain (Matthew 14:22-23). This reminds that Jesus is the original practitioner of this Benedictine motto of ora et labora. Because his work is the work of the Father, not on his own (John 5:17, 19, 30; 14:31), Jesus always made sure that he is obedient to the Father’s will through his prayer, listing to Him, aligning his hear to that of the Father. And it was after he worked hard in feeding a great crowd, Jesus needed some quiet prayer time alone with the Father, just as he did after healing many people, including Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:29-37).

While Jesus was praying alone on the mountain, the boat, which the disciples were on, sailed a few miles offshore, but strong winds began to hit to boat, turning and tossing (Matthew 14:24). Then, during the fourth watch hours, sometime between 3 am and 6 am, Jesus was coming to the boat by walking on the surface of the stormy Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:25). Seeing this, the disciples were terrified and cried out in fear, “It is a ghost!”(Matthew 14:26).

To this, Jesus assured the disciple, saying:

Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid (Matthew 14:27).

It was Peter, who responded to Jesus, as to test if the man on the water was really Jesus, saying, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water”(Matthew 14:28), while the rest of the disciples were probably simply bewildering. Then, Jesus commanded Peter to come to him, and he got out of the boat and began walking toward Jesus (Matthew 14:29). But when he saw how strong the wind was, he began to sink and cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save me!”(Matthew 14:30). And Jesus saved Peter from drowning by stretching his arm to him and said:

O you of little faith, why did you doubt? (Matthew 14:31).

Jesus and Peter got on the boat, and the wind died down (Matthew 14:32). And it was when the disciples show their reverence to Jesus, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God”(Matthew 14:33).

So, what is a lesson to take to our heart from this narrative?

It is Jesus’ message, Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid (Matthew 14:27), an antidote to our fear. It is a reminder that our faith in him calm the storm of fear in our hearts and minds, just as his supernatural divine power can make the storm die down.

When we are on a boat and the storm hits it violently, shaking the boat up and down, right and left, our instinct tells us to hang on to the boat. But it was Peter who got out of the boat amidst gusty wind and began walking on the stormy water, just as Jesus walked, as long as, he believed in the man, whom everyone else thought as a ghost, Jesus. But as soon as he let the strong wind distract his attention from Jesus ahead of him, Peter was plagued with fear and began to sink.

This teaches us that simply believing in Jesus is not sufficient. Our belief in him must be steadfast and unshakable and, therefore, sustainable.

Peter at first believed that it was really Jesus, who walked on the stormy water and called him to come by walking on the water. Otherwise, how would he get out of the boat, which was rather symbolic to “security”. But it is “security” in human sense. But, Jesus sent a message to peter, “Peter, if you really think it is me, then, take risk and get out of your personal security zone and come to me by walking the stormy water”.  So, Peter did and actually walked on the water supernaturally.

The problem was that Peter’s belief was not sustainable as it was not firm enough to shield him from the distractors, such as the strong wind. As his attention drifted from Jesus ahead of him to the wind, Peter was no longer able to walk on the water and began to sink. And he cried out to Jesus to save him.

In citing the Nicene Creed and the Apostle’s Creed, we profess our faith, saying that we do believe in Jesus the Christ. But is it just our saying? Or can we make sure that our faith in him keeps us from fear distracting us from following the Lord’s call on us? Are our eyes are always fixed on Jesus or do they drift?

In contrasting to the Gospel narrative of Jesus being awaken by the disciples frightened by the storm and calming it (Matthew 8:23-27), the disciples’ witness to Jesus walking on the stormy water, letting Peter walk on the water as he did, and stopping the wind really made them firmly believe that Jesus is truly the Son of God (Matthew 14:22-33). They were no longer wondering what sort of man Jesus was to have the power over the storm (i.e. Matthew 8:27).

These two Gospel accounts (Matthew 8:23-27; 14:22-33) call us to strengthen our faith and make it unshakable so that we do not let our fear compromise our prayer and work for the greater glory of God. And we make sure that our faith is steadfast enough to remain sustainable so that we can walk our path to be in union with the Lord in the Kingdom. In fact, our path of exodus from this world to the Kingdom may be like walking on the stormy water. As we learn from Peter’s case, we may be “drawn” by fear or devil’s attacks, if our faith is not strong enough.

In the First Reading (1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a), we also see Elijah being recoiled by fear. So out of fear, he retreated himself to a cave. And it was when God called him. But, God’s voice neither came in heavy wind nor earthquake nor fire, but it was a subtle whisper. Elijah could have missed it easily if not being attentive or if letting the wind, earthquake, and fire, distract him.

So, God said:

Why are you here, Elijah? (1 Kings 19:9).

Elijah gave a rather awkward response:

I have been most zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, but the Israelites have forsaken your covenant. They have destroyed your altars and murdered your prophets by the sword. I alone remain, and they seek to take my life (1 Kings 19:10).

Then God said:

Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord; the Lord will pass by. There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord—but the Lord was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the Lord was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the Lord was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound (1 Kings 19:11-12).

Did Elijah come out of the cave? Yes. Did he actually go up on the mountain? No. He just hid his face as he came out of the cave and stood by its entrance (1 Kings 19:13a). It means that Elijah was still in fear. So, God had to push this fear-stricken prophet further, saying:

Why are you here, Elijah? (1 Kings 19:13b).

Out of fear, Elijah pretty much repeated his previous message to God:

I have been most zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, but the Israelites have forsaken your covenant. They have destroyed your altars and murdered your prophets by the sword. I alone remain, and they seek to take my life (1 Kings 19:14).

Then, God commanded Elijah to go back to where he escaped from and take risk to engage in dangerous mission but assured of His care for him and his mission (1 Kings 19:15-18). And Elijah set his way from the cave and began his mission, as God commanded, including finding Elisha as his successor (1 Kings 19:19).

Elijah coming out of the cave for was like Peter getting out of the boat. Elijah setting his way from the cave to engage in his mission, taking risk, was like Peter walking on the stormy water.

Therefore, in connection with the First Reading (1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a), the Gospel Reading (Matthew 14:22-33) is about overcoming fear with faith and by the Word of God. It is about coming out of our security zone, taking risk by trusting God’s providence. Otherwise, our journey to get closer to the Lord would never be accomplished, because it is like walking on the stormy water toward him. Then, our faith would be superficial and cosmetic.

God speaks to us amidst stormy time in our life. But it can be a subtle whispering, which is easy to miss. If we missed it, then, we might sink into despair and even commit apostasy, left with dismay and even resentment for having believed in God. That would be a problem of theodicy.

In the Second Reading (Romans 9:1-5), Paul reminds us that his conscience is fortified by the Holy Spirit enjoining it. And it leads to blessings. It calls us to have the Holy Spirit strengthen our faith as it is a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:9). Keeping clear conscience by the power of the Holy Spirit also means to retain our clear vision of Christ before us, to whom we “walk on the stormy water”, trusting in him and his care.

So, let us come out of our security zone, whether it is like a cave or a boat! Now, let us take a risky path without fear, trusting in the Lord and his providence, empowered by the Holy Spirit!

The Transfiguration of the Lord: Invigorating Our Eschatological Hope as the Church Triumphant in Christ’s Glorious Light in Trinity

We read on the Transfiguration of the Lord twice during in a liturgical cycle every year: Second Sunday of Lent and the Feast of the Transfiguration (August 6).

Reflecting on the Transfiguration of the Lord on the Second Sunday of Lent calls us to look beyond the passion and death of Christ, namely, to look into the glory of the Lord’s resurrection, as well as, his Ascension into heaven. On the other hand, celebrating the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on August 6 shall invigorate our eschatological hope of the Parousia and us becoming the Church Triumphant (Ecclesia Triumphans), transformed from the Church Militant (Ecclesia Militans) and the Church Penitent (Ecclesia Poenitens).

We have been the Church Militant ever since her birth on Pentecost, as we continue to be in battle with evil forces and evil spirits that plague this world (Ephesians 6:11-17). And this spiritual war will not cease until the return of Christ, as the King of the Universe, in his glory, to reign both the heavens and the earth at the eschaton (Revelation 19-22), preceded by the series of the judgement against those who are against Christ and his Church (Revelation 6:1-17; 8:1-5(Seven Seals); 8:6-9:21; 11:15-19(Seven Trumpets); 16:1-21(Seven Bowls); 17:1-18:24).

This motif of the Transfiguration as a preview into the eschatological Parousia of Christ the King to reign the heavens and the earth (i.e. Matthew 28:18) upon all the enemies are conquered (Revelation 18:1-24; 19:17-21; 20:1-10) is foreseen by Daniel, as described in the First Reading (Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14), which is taken from the description of Daniel’s dream in Babylon, during the reign of Belshazzar, Babylonian king (Daniel 7:1).

It was around 553BC. In this dream, Daniel envisaged the coming of the Son of Man, the Christ, following the serial emergences of the four beasts, which symbolize four powerful empires. The lion with the wings of an eagle (Daniel 7:4) represents the Babylonian Empire, which was founded by Nebuchadnezzar. The bear with three ribs (Daniel 7:5) indicates the Persian Empire, and the three ribs may represent three main empires that Persia conquered: Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt. The Leopard with four wings and four heads (Daniel 7:6) is a symbolic representation of the Macedonian-Greek Empire, founded by Alexander the Great. The four wings and heads may represent the four divisions of the empire after the death of Alexander the Great:  Macedon and Greece ruled by Antipater and Cassander, Thrace and Asia Minor ruled by Lysimachus, Syria ruled by Seleucus I, and Palestine and Egypt ruled by Ptolemy I.  The fourth terrifying and very powerful unnamed beast with large iron teeth and ten horns (Daniel 7:7) means the Roman Empire. The tenth shows Rome’s devouring power in conquests and the ten horns represents its vast domain. These four beasts in sequential order symbolize the increasing expansion of the secular power that poses a challenge against God.

Thus, in response to the progressive expansion of the worldly power, Daniel foresaw the coming of Christ, the Son of Man, and his throne, to establish his Kingdom over all nations on earth, as described in the First Reading (Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14).

The thrones besides the seat of the Ancient of Days in Daniel’s dream (Daniel 7:9) are the heavenly thrones that Christ revealed to John (Revelation 4:4). And the seat where the Ancient of Days sat (Daniel 7:9) may be the throne of Christ (Revelation 7:9), as the Ancient of Days is a figurative expression of God. Because Christ, the Son, pre-existed, with God and as God (John 1:1; Colossians 1:16-17; Proverbs 8:22-31), the Ancient of Days can be Christ, as well as, the Father. Because he sits on his throne (Daniel 7:9), the Ancient of Days is the King (i.e. Luke 1:32-33; Revelation 19:16).

The throne of Christ the King, as foreseen by Daniel, is not fixed in heaven but rather mobile with the wheels (Daniel 7:9). With its wheels, the Christ’s throne moves in all direction on earth to be in touch with those who believe in him (i.e. Ezekiel 1:15-28; cf. Mark 16:15-16). His clothing being as white as snow and his white hair being like pure wool (Daniel 7:9) may be a prefigurative image of the incarnated Christ’s transfiguration in bright light (Matthew 17:2) and the white horse that he rides at his Parousia (Revelation 19:11).

The throne and its wheels are on fire (Daniel 7:9). Because fire symbolizes judgement (Matthew 25:41; 1 Corinthians 3:13; Hebrews 10:27; 12:29; 2 Peter 3:7; Isaiah 66:15-16; Malachi 3:19 (4:1)), Daniel’s dream of Christ’s coming suggests the final judgement, as his throne also means the judge’s bench. The judgement, the fire, is rendered from Christ’s throne to all the subjects, who are assembled in his court (Daniel 7:10), as this foresees the final judgement at the eschaton (Revelation 20:11-15).

All the beasts, all these secular powers against Christ and his Church are judged and destroyed (Daniel 7:11-12), and Christ’s eternal reign takes the complete dominion (Daniel 7:13-14).

In Daniel’s dream, Christ the King is coming with the clouds of heaven (Daniel 7:13; cf. Luke 21:27) to take his complete reign on earth as in heaven (Daniel 7:14). This is echoed in the presence of a bright cloud, from which the Father spoke on His Son:

This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him (Matthew 17:5).

The only other occasion when the Father spoke was when the incarnated Christ was baptized and as the Holy Spirit descended (Matthew 3:16), saying:

This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17).

The cloud certainly represents the presence of God in the Holy Spirit during the day, while fire represents the presence of the Holy Spirit in the night (i.e. Exodus 13:21-22; cf. Matthew 3:11; Acts 2:3). And the Holy Spirit accompanies the Father, as He makes His presence.

At the time of the Transfiguration of the incarnated Christ, all three persons in Trinity are present: the Son in glorious transfiguration, the Father speaking from the heaven’s opening, and the Holy Spirit in th5; catthew 17:2-5). Furthermore, in his glorious Transfiguration, the incarnated Christ was with Moses, who represents the Law, and Elijah, who represents the prophets (Matthew 17:3). This means that he is the fulfillment of both the Law and the prophets, as he claimed during his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:17).

The glorious light that made the face of the incarnated Christ shine like the sun, turning his clothing white (Matthew 17:2) is the divine light, in which there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). This reminds that Christ is the light (John 8:12) that shines eternally, even after the sun burns out (Revelation 21:23). However, the brightness of the divine light can be terrifying to those who are not familiar with it (Matthew 17:5; cf. Luke 2:9). But those who are evil hate the divine light, Christ the light (John 3:20). And, the Transfiguration of the Lord gives a foretaste of the full reign of the light upon conquering all evil darkness.

In fact, the Transfiguration took place in response to Peter’s failure to acknowledge the power of the resurrection of the incarnated Christ, following his death, when his death and resurrection was foretold (Matthew 16:21-23). By protesting the prospect of the death of the incarnated Christ, Peter was also trying to prevent the glory of Christ’s resurrection, his ascension, and his Parousia. For this reason, Jesus rebuked him. So, Peter, together with James and John, had to see the glory that follows the death of the incarnated Christ. And this symbolized in his Transfiguration, as it represents where Christ’s Paschal Mystery points to.

The incarnated Christ has conquered the darkness of death through his death and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:54-55; cf. Hosea 13:14). Therefore, when his full reign takes place, upon his Parousia and judgement, as foreseen by Daniel (Daniel 7:9-14), we live eternal life in the glorious eternal light, thanks to Christ the King in his complete reign (Revelation 21:4). And as the Second Reading (2 Peter 1:16-19) reminds, the Transfiguration of the Lord shall transform us to shine as a lamp in this world, darkened by evil. Reflecting Christ the light of the Transfiguration, we continue to fight against the evil darkness of the world until we become the Church Triumphant so that we shall be the bride of Christ at the eschaton (Revelation 19:6-9).

St. Alphonsus Ligouri: Agent to Let the Law Be Fulfilled in Us by Christ

To many people, “law” and “morality” may seem rather “restrictive” than “liberating”. But, as you come to know St. Alphonsus Ligouri, who is a doctor of the Church for his great contribution in moral theology, you may find the law and morality salvific and redemptive! It is because Alphonsus Ligouri’s teaching brought the liberating presence of Christ to those who had been put down under the law and ostracized for seen as immoral to let the Law of God be fulfilled also in them by Christ.

As both the First Reading (Romans 8:1-4) and the Gospel Reading (Matthew 5:13-19) of the memorial feast of St. Alphonsus Ligouri reflect, what characterizes his teaching is that the law and morality are ultimately meant to free us from the bonds of sin, because the incarnated Christ, Jesus, came to fulfill the Law in us, as we turn to him, who made this possible for his passion and death on the Cross and resurrection.

Alphonsus’ moral theology directs us to live a life of freedom, namely a life in Christ, which is also a life in the Holy Spirit and a life benefitted by God’s grace. Then, we come to appreciate the law and morality as our aids to live a life of virtues, away from a life of vices.

St. Alphonsus Ligouri started his career as an attorney in Naples. He had never lost his cases in court until he erred on a piece of evidence in a property dispute case. It turned out to be his first and last lost case, as he exited from the practice of law upon losing that case and engaged in intense prayer. It was when he was surrounded by a mysterious light and heard a voice, calling, “Leave the world and give yourself to me”. It was Christ’s invitation to him to work for him, who came to fulfill the higher Law, namely, the Law given by God to us through Moses. This experience of encountering Christ led him to become a priest and to chosen to be a bishop.

As a priest of Naples, St. Alphonsus preached the Good News of Christ to people from all walks of life in a way of rubber meeting the road. He always reached out to those who were in most need of God’s mercy and those were marginalized. Ultimate purpose of his pastoral ministry was to save and redeem as many souls as possible from the grip of sin, as Jesus reached out to sinners, because, as he said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Matthew 9:12-13). And for this, Christ came to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17), and the Law is fulfilled in us, as we live according to the Holy Spirit and with the right things of the Spirit (Romans 8:4). The right things of the Spirit are the multifaceted fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) against vices (Galatians 5:17-21). This way, we can live as the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). And this is what the living in the light (Ephesians 5:6-20) is about. 

St. Alphonsus Ligouri left  his practice of civil law in Naples and served as an efficacious agent of Christ to fulfill the Law above all laws through his salvific and redemptive ministry, rooted in his moral theology.

Let St. Alphonsus Ligouri help us enjoy the salvific and redemptive benefits of the Law as it is fulfilled in us, by seeking Christ and his grace through the Holy Spirit.