An Invitation to Pre-Lenten and Lenten Exercises with Jesus' Kerygma in His Sermon on the Plain

Some Christian ministers “sugarcoat” the teaching of Jesus, making it “soothing” to our ears. Perhaps, it is to make their congregations grow in popularity, as “sweetening” of Jesus’ teaching attracts more people as syrup attracts ants. It is particularly the case where a pleasure-driven seeking of happiness and positive psychology become a popular cultural norm.  However, is Christianity is all about making us feel good about ourselves?  Is preaching to make a pastor popular like a rock star for soothing messages?  

There is nothing wrong to preach about Jesus’ teaching to inspire congregations. In fact, it is important that we find inspiration, as well as meaning, in Jesus’ kerygma. If a good feeling is a natural consequence of an inspirational preaching of the kerygma of Jesus, that is great. However, if a sermon is to make congregations feel good for the sake of pastor’s popularity, then, it is not an authentic Christian ministry. The pastor’s narcissism may have obscured Jesus and his teaching when making congregation feel good becomes a purpose of ministry.

If you focus on the kerygma of Jesus, you notice that his teaching is not always soothing to our ear and does not always make us feel good.  It is rather challenging us to go through some radical changes in life in order to be Christian. It means that Jesus’ kerygma shall function as a catalyst for our metanoia so that we can spiritually grow to become like Christ (i.e. Philippians 2:5) by living a life in Christ (i.e. 1 John 2:5-6).

Yes, God sure loves us. Thus, Jesus really cares about our well-being not only on physical and psychological levels, but more importantly, on spiritual level. Most importantly, he loves us with great intimacy for us to be in him as he desires to be in us (i.e. John 14:20, 17:23).  His kerygma is delivered to us so that we can grow in faith, becoming like him and living a life in him, as let him be in us. Therefore, when the kerygma of Jesus is preached, we must keep in mind that it is for us to live a life in him, and, as Thomas a Kempis puts it, to imitate Christ by rediscovering who we are in Christ. How we feel about it is simply a natural consequence of this process, prompted by the kerygma of Jesus.  

Anyone who preaches about Jesus’ kerygma must honor the original intent of Jesus so that it will facilitate congregation’s spiritual growth to live their Christian life in Christ. Sugarcoating the kerygma and Jesus’ intention behind it in preaching is what a false shepherd (i.e. Ezekiel 34:2) does, as such a preaching only fatten the preacher in popularity at the expense of  the congregation’s spiritual need to become like Christ, to live in Christ.  A pastor’s role is to shepherd the congregation to live a life in Christ together – not to mislead them into wrong ideas about Jesus and his kerygma by sugarcoating it.

With this in mind, we can appreciate Jesus’ kerygma in his Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:17-49), especially in vv. 20-38, as read for the Gospel Readings for the 6^th and the 7th Sundays in Ordinary Time on Cycle C.

As Jesus began the Sermon on the Plain, addressing to his disciples (Luke 6:20-49), Jesus said:

Blessed are the poor (v20)…blessed are the hungry (v21)…blessed are those who weep (v21)…blessed are the hated (v22), the excluded (v22), the insulted (v22), and the rejected (v22).

Love your enemies (v27)….do good to those who hate you (v27)….bless those who curse you (v28)…pray for those who mistreat you (v28)…turn the other check when someone strikes you (v29).

Do not let the person who takes away your cloak stop from taking what is under the cloak (v29)…do not refuse anyone who asks you and give to the person (v30)…..do not ask to return to you even someone takes what belongs to you (v31).

Do to others as we want them to do to you (v31).

Rather, love, do good, lend without expecting anything in return to those who you find very difficult to love, such as your enemies (v35).

usBe merciful just as our Father is merciful (v36).

Stop judging, and stop condemning (v37)

Forgive (v37)…Give (v38).

Jesus’ statements on the beatitudes (vv.20-22) and his commandments (vv.27-31, vv.35-38) are rather quite contrary to what we think of the poor, the afflicted, and those who are against us – the kind of people that we rather fight or not to deal with. None of these statements on the beatitudes and commandments of Jesus sound sweet. These commands of Jesus sound quite contrary to what our instinct, as well as worldly convention, don’t they? Nevertheless, Jesus teaches us that those whom we tend to think cured are blessed and to love those whom we find difficult to love.

The kerygma of Jesus in the above statements on the beatitudes and commandments to deal with our enemies challenges us to break away from the worldly conventional and transcend our instinctive view thoughts in order to adopt a new life that Jesus teaches. This shift in life sure requires metanoia as Paul indicates in Romans 12:2.

Perhaps, reflecting on Jesus’ challenging statements on the beatitudes and commandments in dealing with our enemies is a good Lenten exercise for our metanoia so that we can align ourselves with him, as we progress on our Lenten journey.  In this exercise, going verse by verse of Jesus’ statements on the beatitudes (Luke 6:20-22) and his commandments (Luke 6:27-31, 35-38) , we are likely to experience our resistance in response.  Acknowledging the resistance is every important because it is what Jesus called “the wooden beam in the eye”(Luke 6:42), as it is what keeps us accepting the way Jesus thinks and acts, which are reflected in his statements on the beatitudes and commandments in dealing with our enemies.

As Lent is near, are we ready to really experience metanoia by removing the obstacles in our eyes to see the truth in Jesus’ kerygma?  If ready, then, we can reflect on his comments on the beatitudes (Luke 6:20-22) and commandments in dealing with our enemies (Luke 6:67-31, 35-38) to diagnose where we can find “the wooden beam in our eye”(Luke 6:42).

Though poverty can be a subjective concept, as what is poor to one person may not be so to another, how many of us can honestly feel blessed to lose possessions and become poor, afflicted, humiliated, and grief-stricken over the loss, as Job did? Who among us would like to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, pray for those who mistreat us, and turn the other cheek to those who strike a cheek? How many of us can let a person who robs us of our coats on a cold day also take away our shirts? Who among us do not mind someone taking our possessions without our permissions and not expecting the person to return them to us? 

Collectively, these are just some questions in reflecting on Jesus’ kerygma to reflect on his teachings on the beatitudes and his commandments in dealing with our enemies to help us experience metanoia necessary to life a new life of Jesus. With this reflective exercise, we can find ourselves conformed to the will of God, reflected in Jesus’ kerygma, not dictated by worldly and instinctive paradigms any more. By then, living a new life according to Jesus’ kerygma is no longer a drag but a joy, as we can experience the blessings even in what we have thought as curses and as we can joyfully observe Jesus’ challenging commandments in dealing with our enemies.

Be aware of "sugarcoated" teaching of false shepherds, as Jesus' kerygma is not always sweet to our worldly contaminated hearts and minds. Let us remove the obstacles, like "the wooden beam in our eye"(Luke 6:42), in us so that our Lenten journey will be very meaningful and result in a good fruit (cf. Luke 6:43-45). 

Do We Find the Beatitudes in Poverty, Hunger, and Persecution?

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19)

Reflecting these words from Paul’s teaching, we often eagerly express our gratitude and praise to God for the blessings we receive from Him at our faith-sharing group meeting. Usually, participants of such a group meeting say things like, “I thank and praise God for a speedy recovery from my surgery last week”….”I praise the Lord and give thanks to Him for the pay raise I got”.

Sure, these are great to express to God, giving due credit to Him for all the blessings that they have received and enjoyed.  But, how many of these eager Christians profess with confidence, “I thank you and praise you, Lord, for keeping me your beloved ‘poor’!”….”I praise and thank you, Lord, for a gift of the challenge in my life!”

Being poor …having difficulties in life is a blessing?

This sounds counterintuitive? It sure is countercultural to the worldly view of blessing, as we tend to see such things as “curses”.  But, contrary to what the world sees, Jesus sees them as blessings and calls us to rejoice over challenges in life.

The Gospel reading for the 6^th Sunday in Ordinary Time on Cycle C, Luke 6:17, 20-26, is about the “shorter” version of Jesus’ teaching on the beatitudes, which means “being blessed” in plural. Its singular form “beatitude” (blessedness) is derived from Vulgate Latin word, “beati”.

Beati pauperes, quia vestrum est regnum Dei.  Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God (Luke 6:20).

Whether in Matthew’s extensive version on the beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) or in Luke’s brief version (Luke 6:20-23), there is no where Jesus says things like, “Blessed are those who enjoy pay raises”, “Blessed are you, who got recovered from illness”.  Instead, he says,

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God (v20).
Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled (v21).
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh (v21).
Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man (v22).

Then, Jesus says:

Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets  (v23).

Those who live in poverty, those who are hungry, perhaps, because of poverty, and those who weep, and those who are victims of hatred and, perhaps, persecution, are blessed and called to rejoice?  This teaching  make no sense in light of “happiness” that the world teaches, doesn’t it?  And, what I observe in many faith-sharing meetings rather reflects worldly teaching on “happiness” but not really Jesus’ teaching on the beatitudes in Luke’s Gospel.

Though those who are eager to express their gratitude and praises to God for having received what they wanted may not admit, what I see here is something like what social psychologists call “Dunning-Kruger effect”, which is ignorance of their own ignorance. When we have the Dunning-Kruger effect, we are at risk of losing humility. At the same time, this phenomenon reflects our tendency to love God rather conditionally, based on our own desires. We love God and give thanks to Him with our praises whenever we can attribute gaining what we want to God’s providence. But, what if we simply received poverty, hunger, and hatred, as a result of our prayer and faith, instead?  Will we still thank God and praise Him even though all we have is any of these in the list of the beatitudes in Luke 6:20-22 and still rejoice (Luke 6:23)?

Yes, we can, as long as we keep the unquenchable Spirit, namely, the Holy Spirit.
So, the question in order to truly rejoice over our beatitudes with our gratitude and praise, especially when the world is totally against us, is: Are we filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit, the unquenchable Spirit?

To really appreciate Luke’s version on Jesus’ teaching of the beatitudes, we need to focus on our faith, not the worldly teaching.  For this, we really need to tap into the unquenchable Holy Spirit.

The first reading for the 6^th Sunday to be echoed by the Gospel reading, Luke 6:20-26, is taken from Jeremiah 17:5-8. It begins with these words of warning from God:

Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord (Jeremiah 17:5).

But, God Himself told Jeremiah, His messenger:

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream.

It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

There is a contrast between trusting in the mortal (namely, trusting in what the world teaches) and trusting in God. In the eyes of God, according to Jeremiah, the former is foolishness leading to curses, while the latter to God’s beatitudes.

Trusting in God and His providence is what faith is.  The New Testament Greek word for faith, πίστις (pistis), literally means trust. And, faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:9). Therefore, keeping ourselves filled with the unquenchable Holy Spirit, enables us to keep our faith in God – trusting God always in order to rejoice over the beatitudes in our poverty, hunger, and persecution.

This is Lord’s call on us to grow in faith so that we can be like St. Ignatius of Loyola, whose prayer says:

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.

Given the below prayer of Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu monk, Jesus’s teaching of the beatitudes, as written in Luke’s Gospel is not just for Christians but to any person of faith – not in the mortal but the immortal being, whether they necessarily call this being God or not.

When I asked God for strength

He gave me difficult situations to face

When I asked God for brain and brown

He gave me puzzles in life to solve

When I asked God for happiness

He showed me some unhappy people

When I asked God for wealth

He showed me how to work hard

When I asked God for favors

He showed me opportunities to work hard

When I asked God for peace

He showed me how to help others

God gave me nothing I wanted

He gave me everything I needed.

To rejoice over our beatitudes, we must recognize the truth that God always blesses us with what we need but not necessarily what we want or what we asked for out of our desires. 

Now, do we have faith in God that God always blesses us with what we need?

Let the unquenchable Holy Spirit fill us for the gift of faith for the beatitudes so that our thanksgiving and praise to God, as we rejoice over the beatitudes even in our poverty, hunger, and persecution.

Let Christ Jesus, not the world, guide our view in finding blessings - grace of God - in our lives.

Reflecting the Post-Christmas-Season Ordinary Time Initiation: Christ’s First Miracle and First Teaching ( Cycle C)

Now we have passed the Advent and Christmas Seasons. Our search for Christ is over. Upon the feast of Baptism of the Lord into the pre-Lent Ordinary Time in the Liturgical Calendar, we acknowledge Christ's public presence and follow him as he continues on his ministry. The initiation of his ministry on earth has been punctuated with his first miracle - turning water into the choicest wine during the wedding banquet at Canna - and his first preaching in Nazareth - announcing a reason why he has come to this world, citing the first 2 verses of Isaiah 61.

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We have begun the Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar on the Monday after the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, transitioning from the Christmas Season, which was preceded by the Advent Season.  The fact that the Christmas Season concludes with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord in the liturgical calendar makes sense, given that John the Baptist and his role in preparing for the adventus of Christ were reflected on two Advent Sundays in row: the 2^nd and the 3^rd Advent Sundays on all liturgical cycles – A, B, C. What John the Baptist was calling the Israelites to prepare for by citing Isaiah 40 with an emphasis on verse 3 was not necessarily the birth of Christ but rather his public appearance. Certainly, it was when he came to the Jordan River to be baptized, while John the Baptist was baptizing others, that Christ made his first public appearance and was recognized as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world by John (John 1:29).  Therefore, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord ends what we began preparing for during the Advent Season, preceding the Christmas Season.

When we began the liturgical year on the First Sunday of Advent, we initiated our journey to find Christ at his adventus. The coming of Christ was prophesized in Isaiah 7:14, about 700 years before the birth of Christ, and so it happed as Mary, the Blessed Virgin, gave birth to Jesus, upon conceiving him in her Immaculate womb by the power of the Holy Spirit (i.e. Matthew 1:18), making Theos-Logos incarnated, as written in John 1:1, 14.

Celebrating the birth of Christ, we began the Christmas season, reflecting on what it means that Christ was born as an עָנָו/anav in the stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem, though he draws the Davidic royal lineage (i.e. Isaiah 9:7, 11:10; Romans 15:12; Matthew 1:1-17; Revelation 5:5, 22:16) and is considered as a King (i.e, Zechariah 9:9), who rules the world with justice (Psalm 72). At the same time, we also meditate on the roles that the Holy Family played for the growth of Jesus.

During this celebratory liturgical season, our Christmas joy increased as the presence of Christ was witnessed more people – first by the shepherds on the day of his Nativity (Luke 1:1-20), by Simeon and Anna at his Presentation in the Temple (Luke 2:22-38), and by the Magi from east (Matthew 2:1-12).  In fact, these are the first three theopanies occurred during Jesus’ infancy. The third theophany, God in infant Jesus manifesting to the Magi, is also known as Epiphany. Because the Magi did not report to him about Jesus’ whereabouts, King Herod the Great, who wanted to hunt down the newborn King, ordered to massacre all boys who were 2 years old and younger in the Bethlehem area (Matthew 2:16-18), and these children slain by Herod’s paranoia were memorized as the Holy Innocent on December 28. In the meantime, the Holy Family sought a refuge in Egypt, as Joseph was warned about Herod’s vicious plan to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:13). We honored the Holy Family on the Sunday after Christmas (unless Christmas falls on Sunday).  After Herod’s death, the Holy Family returned from Egypt, though keeping a safe distance from Jerusalem, where a successor of Herod the Great was (Matthew 2:19-23), and Jesus continued to grow in wisdom and statue, and in favor with God and people (Luke 2:52). Then, when he was about 30 (Luke 3:23), Jesus appeared to be baptized on the banks of the Jordan River, where John the Baptist was preparing for the way of the Messiah Lord to come, anticipating the fulfillment of Isaiah 40:1-5. John acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah – the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world – to complete his mission and to usher into the new Messianic era after a long period without a prophet from the time of Malachi to John the Baptist himself. The Baptism of the Lord signals the beginning of Christ’s public mission with the 4^th theophany, as Jesus finally came out of the obscurity and made himself more visible to those who had prepared themselves to accept him as the Messiah and his salvific teaching. Thus, the Baptism of the Lord concludes the Christmas Season and transitions into the Ordinary Time.

Following the Sunday in celebrating the Baptism of Christ, we have begun the Ordinary Time before the Lenten Season.  To punctuate the beginning of the Ordinary Time on Cycle C, we have reflected on Christ’s first miracle during the wedding banquet at Cana (John 2:1-11) for the 2ns Sunday in Ordinary Time and on Christ’s first preaching in the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21) for the 3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.  

It was not until the Baptism of the Lord that Christ made himself appear to the public to begin his ministry, and he was about 30 years old at that time (Luke 3:23). It means that Christ’s presence was not really acknowledged during his first 30 years of life, except by the shepherd at his Nativity, by Simeon and Anna at his Presentation, and by the Magi at Epiphany, as reflected during the Christmas Season. Christ’s prenatal presence in Mary’s womb was recognized by Elizabeth, during Mary’s visitation to her (Luke 1:43), as reflected during the later Advent Season  (4^th Sunday Gospel reading on Cycle C: Luke 1:39-45). Therefore, theophany in Christ has been made publically upon the feast of the Baptism of Christ to be reflected in the Gospel readings through the Ordinary Time, the Lenten Season, the Paschal Triduum, the Paschal Season. Then, during the post-Pentecost Ordinary Time until the end of a liturgical year with the week of Christ the King, we continue to reflect Christ’s actions, including miracles, and teaching in our apostolic applications, as guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit, another Parakloetos, while post-Ascension Christ prepares our heavenly dwelling place (John 14:1-5, 16, 26; 16:7).

Upon the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Christ has made himself publically recognizable in his ministry into the Ordinary Time, through the Lenten Season, Paschal Triduum, and into the Paschal Season.  It is no longer as his presence was hidden in the womb of Mary, as in the Advent Season, and not as his presence was only recognized by the shepherds at his Nativity, by Simeon and Anna at his Presentation in the Temple, and by the Magi at Epiphany, as in the Christmas Season, upon the Baptism of the Lord. As we have begun the Ordinary Time, following the Advent and Christmas Seasons, during which we have sought out him, Christ’s very presence can be acknowledged by anyone who seek him in faith, upon his Baptism. As we find him, we follow him in the Paschal Mystery, so that we will be well-prepared upon the Paschal Season, for our apostolic commission on Pentecost. This will make our apostolic journey very fruitful, further reflecting the meaning of Christ’s miracles and teaching, throughout the remaining liturgical year – through the post- Paschal-Season Ordinary Time.

Christ’s first miracle and first preaching are certainly suited to keep us in perspective as we find and follow him through his Paschal Mystery to start the Ordinary Time into the Lenten Season and further into the Paschal Season.  The first miracle saved the wedding banquet at Cana from disruption and the first preaching made it clear to the public of the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1-2, the year of favor, which means the time of salvation.  Because Christ metaphorically describes of his time on earth to minister us is like a wedding feast (i.e. Matthew 9:15),  preserving the wedding banquet from disruption as his first miracle signals that nothing can compromise his public ministry to its completion on the Cross. And,  his first teaching in Nazareth reminds us that his mission is to save us by bringing the Good News to the anawim, who have not been treated not only by the world but even by religious leaders of time. Thus, by citing the first two verses of Isaiah 61 out of the scroll, Christ is also making a public announcement that his mission is also restorative justice.

The main part of the  Gospel reading for the 3^rd Sunday on Cycle C, Luke 4:14-21, in which Jesus made himself known to the public of his Messianic identity by indicting that he was the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:2-1.  What came to this world with the public appearance of Christ in the synagogue in Nazareth in his very first preaching was the beginning of the salvific period.

The question is, “Have we found Christ in his public appearance?” and “Are we now listening to Christ and are his words sinking deep in our hearts? “ and “Are we paying attention to the miraculous signs that Christ is making for us?”, as we further journey into the Ordinary Time, into the Lenten Season and Paschal Triduum, and the Paschal Season. Let us also learn from how the people in Galilee and Jerusalem reacted to Christ’s ministry as this liturgical year further unfolds.

Blessed are the anawim, as Christ said to begin his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12). As his beloved anawim, for whom he came to this world and bring the Good News, we are glad and rejoice as at the undisrupted wedding banquet, as his mission on earth unfolds. 

マリアさまに抱かれる赤子イエスさまを求めてやってきた雪国の三人の子供たち：私達の信仰、かくあるべし

宗教画を臨床心理検査でも使われている投影法で応用しながら信仰心について改めて考えてみましょう。。。

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まず、この絵をご覧ください。

さて、この絵を見て、感じたこと、思ったこと、想像したことなどをご自由にお話してください、と問われたらどのように答えますか？　また、この絵にふさわしいタイトルをつけるとすれば、どのようなタイトルにしますか？

私は心理学のほか、神学も専門とするので、私のような者からこのような質問を投げかけられると、もしかして絵画統覚検査のような投影法で“精神分析”されるかもしれないと“警戒”される方もいらっしゃるかもしれませんが、どうかご安心ください。パストラル心理学的に投影法を応用した自由連想によって信仰心を高める為の自己検証を促すものだとお考えください。

十人の方にこうした問いかけをすれば、十人十色、それぞれ違う答えが返ってくるはずです。何人かの答えの中である程度相通ずることがあっても、やはり、一人一人ユニークな答えがあってあたりまえです。絵のタイトルについては同じ答えとなる確率はゼロではないでしょうが。

かく言う私自身、この絵を見てまず思ったのは、マタイの福音書２：１－１２に記されている東方からの貢物を持った三賢者が赤子イエスに謁見する為にはるばるとエルサレムを経由してベツレヘムへやってきた話です。しかし、この絵から醸し出される話のほうがマタイの福音書の話よりもより親しみのある話だと感じられます。

まず、イエスキリストがユダヤ人ではなく日本人だったら、と想像してみてください。

そうであれば、この絵に描かれているようなことが聖書の福音書に次のように記されていることでしょう。

イエスさまは雪国に住むマリアさまという聖母と夫のヨゼフさまが旅の道中、ある雪深い明け方前、貧しい農村でお生まれになりました。実は、マリア様に陣痛がきた時、夫のヨゼフさまは必死に適当な宿を探したのですが、どこからも断られ、しかたなしにたまたま見つけた雪野原にぽつんとあったかまくらでなんとか無事にお産をすますことができ、イエスさまは元気にお生まれになりました。

生後、近くの借家に落ち着き、赤子イエスさまがすくすくとマリアさまのお乳を飲みながら元気に育っていると、一番年上のお姉さん、二番目のお姉さん、そして、一番年下の弟、といった三人の子供達が手土産をもって隣村から雪深い中を遥々とイエスさまとお会いする為にやってきました。“ごめんくださ～い”、と三人の子供達はイエスさまがマリアさまとヨゼフさまと一緒にいる家の前に現れました。するとイエスさまを抱いたマリアさまが出てきて、“まぁ～、あなたたち、遥々よくいらっしゃいましたね。さぞ寒かったでしょう”、とお答えになりました。そして、マリアさまは、“さあ、さあ、中へお入りなさい”と子供達を家の中へと案内しました。

この子供達は誰よりよりも先に一番にイエスさまと友達になって遊びたいので、春まで待ちきれずにまだイエスさまが赤ちゃんの時に雪深い中を歩いてきたのです。

傍らにはイエスさまがお生まれになったかまくらがありますが、今ではイエスさまはマリアさまとヨゼフさまとご一緒に、マリアさまとヨゼフさまの実家に戻るまでしばらく雪国の借家に落ち着いています。そして、今、この三人の子供達が訪れ、マリアさまに抱かれたイエスさまはとても喜び、にこにこ笑ってこの子供達の来訪を喜んで歓迎されています。そして、お互い微笑み合うわが息子であるイエスさまと三人の子供達を見ながら、マリアさまは、この子（イエスさま）が生まれたとき、この世から見棄てられたような感じだったけど、今、こうしてこの三人の子供達がこの子の為に遥々と雪深い中、しかも、お土産まで持って、一番の友達になりたいからといって訪れてくれるなんて、と感心しつつ、この意義について深々と一人で瞑想的に考え込んでいました。

イエスさまご自身がおっしゃった（マタイ１８：２－３）ように、信仰心において大切なのはこうしたイエスさまと友達になって一緒に遊びたいというような飾り気のない無垢純粋なイエスさまと親しくなりたいという心です。こうした純な心こそがイエスさまがもたらすべく救いへとつながるのです。教会に行っても、聖書を読んでも、神学の学位を修得してすら、イエスさまとの親しい一体的な関係なしにはイエスさまによる救いはないかもしれません。そういった意味で、私達の信仰心も、イエスさまを求めてはるばる雪道を歩いてやってきた子供達のようでないといけませんね。

洗礼の秘蹟を受け、その上、堅信の秘蹟を受けた信者の皆さん、あなたの心はこうした三人の子供のような、“寒さにも雪にもめげず”といったように、どんなことがあってもイエスさまを求める純な心をいつもお持ちでしょうか？

典礼暦において主の洗礼を祝す主日を迎えたばかりの今日、改めて罪無き主があえて私達罪人のように洗礼されることを選ばれた意義について、それが私達自身が受けた洗礼の秘蹟、更に、それに続く堅信の秘蹟、に与える意義についても考えてみましょう。ここで大切なことは、洗礼というものがだだ罪を洗い流すことを象徴するだけでなく、主御自身が洗礼されたことによって、私達の洗礼が主の洗礼という前例により、神との永遠の絆を打ち立てることを象徴し、神が天から洗礼時のイエスさまにおっしゃられたように、私達も神が愛する神の子となったことをも意味することを改めて自覚したのです。更に、イエスさまは御自身の洗礼後、40日の断食に耐え、悪魔からの攻撃を跳ね除け、弟子を集めて本格的な救いにむけた福音の伝道を開始したということ、そしてイエスさまの洗礼を起点としたこの伝道が御自身の十字架での死とそれから3日目の御復活を通して、さらに弟子達をペンタコストの日の聖霊降臨による弟子達をイエスさまの代表として世界伝道へ送り出すことへとつながっていくことまで考えれば、イエスさまの洗礼が私達の堅信の秘蹟にまで与える意義が理解できます。そして、イエスさまの洗礼に関するこうした一連のことに一貫している大切はことは、この絵から汲み取れる、純な子供心でイエスを求め、更に、こうしてイエスを求める心が聖霊による更に力強い洗礼を受けるという堅信の秘蹟により、共にイエスを求め合う“ともだち”と作っていくという伝道につながるわけです。よって、堅信によるこうしたイエスさまという友達を求める心を共有する友達を求めていくという伝道活動は、どんなに寒くても、雪にも風にもめげない強さを持つのです。そして、皆でイエスさまを求め合うことで救いへの道を共に歩むことができるわけです。

因みに、私がこの絵につけたタイトルはこの記事につけたタイトルと同じ、“マリアさまに抱かれる赤子イエスさまを求めてやってきた雪国の三人の子供たち：私達の信仰、かくあるべし”です。

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord: Time to Shift Gears for an Extraordinary Journey with Christ

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the conclusion of the Christmas Season in the current liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. We began a liturgical year on the First Sunday of Advent, which was also the beginning of the Advent Season. Then, what came after the Advent Season was the Christmas Season. As the Advent Season has prepared us for Christmas, now the Christmas Season with the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord and the Solemnity of Epiphany has prepared us for the Baptism of the Lord.  

As we recall, we began our journey to find Christ at his arrival as we began the Advent Season. Anticipating the journey in search of Christ to be arduous, we were reminded not to fall drowsy but to remain vigilant. As we were on this Advent journey, punctuated with four Sundays of Advent, we met John the Baptist on the Second Sunday and came to know him more on the Third Sunday of Advent. Then, on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, we were reminded of Gabriel’s Annunciation to Mary about her virgin conception (Cycle A, B) and Mary’s Visitation to Elizabeth, who recognized the child in Mary’s womb as Christ (Cycle C).

Christ was born of Mary in the fullness of time. However, this event, a long-waited arrival of Christ in this world, was not recognized by the world, except for the shepherds who kept the night-watch of their sheep. Then, the Magi found Christ after a long journey from afar in the east. After this, Simeon and Anna discovered Christ as Mary and Joseph brought him to the Temple to dedicate him to the Lord. These discoveries of Christ by the shepherd, the Magi, and Simeon and Anna are some points of reflections during the Christmas Season, while Christ was still in obscurity.

Finally, the time came for Christ to come public, when he was 30 years old and came to the Jordan River, where John the Baptist were baptizing people, while they were wondering if John the Baptist could be the Christ (Luke 3:15). This indicates that even those who came to John the Baptist to be baptized did not recognize Jesus as the Christ – until he came to be baptized himself.

During the Advent Season, we were already introduced to John the Baptist and are familiar with his mission: To prepare the way for Christ to come. Now, Christ has come public to meet John the Baptist for his baptism so that he can fully dwell among us. Can you afford to miss witnessing Christ now?  If you listened to John the Baptist, who was preparing us for the public appearance of Christ to begin his Messianic mission, you sure will not miss.

By now, even though we missed to find Christ at this Nativity in Bethlehem, or did not follow the star to find him as the Magi did, we can find and make a personal encounter with Christ in his Trinitarian theophany at his Baptism (Matthew 3:16-17//Mark 1:10-11//Luke 3:21-22). This way, we can journey with him for the rest of the liturgical year as we begin the Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar, upon the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  This also mean that we can be with him during his 40-day-and-night fasting in wilderness (i.e. Matthew 4:1-11), during the Lenten Season, upon Ash Wednesday, to prepare for the Paschal Season between the Resurrection and the Pentecost, for our full apostolic commission.

Baptism of Christ, St. John Altarpiece by Giovanni Bellini, c. 1500-02

In fact, we will journey with Christ all the way to the Parousia at the eschaton, going beyond the Paschal Mystery, as we will go on with the risen Christ during the Paschal Season, and continue on with him even upon his Ascension, because he dwells in us in the Spirit, as Paul explains in Romans 8:8-9, as he was in Paul (Galatians 2:20). We are able to journey with Christ, because he has promised to be with us until the eschaton (Matthew 28:20) and has instituted the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which is his body and blood, at the Last Supper (i.e. Matthew 26:26-29).

In making a rear-view mirror kind of review on our journey up to the point of the Baptism of the Lord, ever since the First Sunday of Advent, the below are some major points of reflection.

Annunciation:

With Mary’s pregnancy by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35, cf. Matthew 1:20), the Logos-Theos became flesh of Christ to dwell among us (John 1:14) and to fulfill what God said in Genesis 3:15.

Visitation:

While the flesh of Christ was still growing in Mary’s womb, John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s womb and Elizabeth recognize his presence and rejoiced (Luke 1:39-45).

Nativity of the Lord:

When Mary gave birth to him in the stable, Christ was no longer hidden.  Prompted by the angel’s announcement the shepherds ran to the stable and witnessed this first theophany and praised the Lord (Luke 2:1-20).

Epiphany:

Following the star, when the Magi from the east found Christ while he was still an infant, theophany was made to the Gentiles for the first time (Matthew 2:1-12).

Presentation of the Lord:

When Jesus was brought to the Temple for dedication, as Mary’s the 40-day purification upon giving birth to Jesus was over, Simeon and Anna recognized him as Christ (Luke 2:22-38 ).

Baptism of the Lord:

When he was about 30-year-old (Luke 3:23), Jesus came to the Jordan River and was baptized, with the Holy Spirit descending upon him and the Father in heaven claiming him as His beloved, making this event a Trinitarian theophany (Matthew 3:13-17//Mark 1:9-11//Luke 3:21-22). As John the Baptist foretold of this public appearance of Christ (Matthew 3:11-12//Mark 1:7-8//Luke 3:16-17), Christ come to the public scene and was no longer in obscurity upon his baptism to begin his public ministry, which climaxes with his death on the Cross and the Resurrection.  

Before encountering Christ at his Baptism, we journeyed to find him, unless you are like the Shepherd, who found him at his Nativity or like the Magi, who paid homage to infant Jesus, or like Simeon and Anna, who recognized him as long-waited Christ when he was brought to the Temple for dedication. Now, all of us, the faithful, have found him, as Christ is no longer in obscurity. we thereby begin our journey with him, going through the rest of the Paschal Mystery and beyond, as we are to begin the Ordinary Time. 

On the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we are encountering Christ in theophany as Christ is being baptized by John the Baptist, as the Holy Spirit is descending on him, and the Father claims him as His beloved Son. Now, we must reflect what it means to us.

If baptism were simply to cleanse our sins, then, Christ would not need to be baptized. Nevertheless, he chose to be baptized, just like us. It means that he was to dwell among us (John 1:14) and to embark on his public mission, for which he came to this world as God incarnate (John 1:1, 1:14) through Mary’s Immaculate womb (Matthew 1:18-25//Luke 2:1-21). Because he did not carry on his mission alone but recruited disciples (Matthew 1:12-22//Mark 1:14-20; Luke 5:1-11; John 1:35-42), even after he Ascended, as he called Paul (Acts 9:1-19), we heed the calling from him, as we stand ready to follow him, upon our encounter with him at his baptism.

Fr. William DeBiase, OFM, who was my pastor at the Franciscan Chapel Center in Tokyo, where I was baptized and confirmed, has said in his Baptism of the Lord reflection, “Christianity is not about how much we know but how deeply we are involved with Christ”, to juxtapose our respective baptismal call to Christ’s baptism. Fr. William reminds us that the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is a great opportunity to reflect the meaning of our own baptism, so that this solemnity becomes an opportunity not only to encounter Christ in his theophany but to draw ourselves closer to him to become deeply involved with him as we are ready to journey with him as his disciples. This way, Fr. William, said, the Ordinary Time is not just an ordinary time for us, as our life with and in Christ is not an ordinary life.

In celebrating the Baptism of the Lord, in our encounter with Christ in a Trinitarian theophany, and recalling our own baptismal call, let us shift gears from our searching-for-Christ Advent-Christmas mode to journeying with Christ mode. Now, let us go forward with our Lord for meaningful extraordinary life, though it may mean to carry our daily cross!

Search Journey Guided by the Star: Our Journey to Discover Christ in Epiphany Shall Make Us One with Christ

Have you seen the star?   The Magi have said, Vidimus stellam!(We have seen the star!) when they came to Jerusalem and asked Herod, king of Judea, where the newborn king of the Jews was.

The star that the Magi saw was not just an ordinary one but stella ejus!, stella Dei! …his star!, the star of God!

Vidimus stellam is Cantus Alleluia for Sollemnitas Epiphaniae Domini :

Alleluia.  Alleluia.

Vidimus stellam ejus in Oriente, et venimus cum muneribus adorare Dominum.

(We have seen His star in the East, and are come with gifts to adore the Lord.)

Alleluia.

The text is based on Matthew 2:2, vidimus enim stellam ejus in oriente, et venimus adorare eum./For we observed his star at its rising (in the east) and have come to pay him homage.

As this stanza from “We Three Kings”, bearing gifts we traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star, reflects, the Magi’s journey to find baby Jesus, the newborn King of the Jews, was very long and arduous. It was not that they traveled a well-established road. Rather, it was likely that they journeyed on the road that nobody else had taken. Perhaps, their journey to meet Jesus has some aspect reflecting Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”. It means that they traveled where there was no road sign but pretty much wilderness.

Imagine if we could slip back in time and bring ourselves to the time of the Magi and had to travel as they did. How many of us could make it through and find Jesus, without a paved road…without a car…without a GPS?

When we travel, we plan ahead and prepare itinerary. This is very important especially when we go abroad and venture out to unfamiliar places. We have to have something to guide our journey. In this post-modernistic high-tech era, many of us heavily depend on GPS, which is in communication with a satellite through an electric-magnetic wave.  On the other hand, for the Magi in the early first century A.D., their “GPS” was the stella ejus (his star), namely, a star of God (stella Dei), star of Christ (stella Christi). It was this star of God that the Magi saw as it was rising in the east, and they began following it westward to find Christ in Bethlehem via Jerusalem. When the star stopped to show where the newborn Christ was, they overjoyed in finding and encountering him (Matthew 2:10).

The Magi must have been exhausted as they had endured a very long difficult journey. Nevertheless, they accomplished their mission to encounter the newborn King, the Christ. Matthew does not tell if they acknowledged baby Jesus as Christ. He does not indicate whether these pagan wise men from the Orient became “Christian”.  Perhaps, what is more important for us to understand, according to Matthew, is that they made a significant investment to pay homage to Jesus, acknowledging as the King (i.e. Daniel 7:13-14, Song of Songs 3:6) by offering gold, frankincense and myrrh. It is also possible that they also acknowledged Jesus not only as the King but also as the Priest (i.e. Hebrews 2:17 ; 4:15 ; 7:26 ; 9:14) by offering frankincense, and as the Suffering Messiah (i.e. Isaiah 52:13-53:12) by offering myrrh. Furthermore, they bowed down to baby Jesus held by Mary and worshiped him (Matthew 2:11) upon their encounter with him.

What about us?  Are we putting strenuous efforts in seeking a personal encounter with Christ, as the Magi did? If so, have we seen the star that can guide us to find Christ?  

As the Magi said, we, too, want to say, “Vidimus stellam!…stella Dei est…stella Christi est!”, and “inventos Christi!”, “superventum Christi!”, finding the star of God, the star of Christ, finding Christ himself upon his arrival and appearance. After all, it is Epiphaniae to us. The Magi represent how we are to be.

We actually started our journey to find Christ as we began a liturgical year on the First Sunday of Advent.  These four Sundays of Advent are like road signs to make sure that we are on the way to find Christ.  While it was the shepherds, called by an angel, who first came and found Christ in joy on the very day of his birth, in Luke’s account (Luke 2:8-20), Matthew indicates that it was the Magi, who were learned pagan, to have found Christ before anyone else in the world, perhaps, some time after his birth (Matthew 2:1-12).

If the shepherds in Matthew 2 represent you, you may not to have to journey so far to find and encounter Christ. However, we are more like the Magi, being on a long difficult journey to find Christ, as we live in the sinful world, which Dante Alighieri reflected in “Inferno” of his “Divina Commedia”. 

We live and journey in darkness of sins of this world. For us, the star that guides our way to Christ is his mother, Mary the Theotokos, as she is the “Morning Star”, heralding the rising of the sun, the birth of Christ, as well as the resurrection of Christ.  It was Mary, whom Christ first met, when he came to this world as a newborn baby (Luke 2:1-20), and when he ressurected, according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola (First Contemplation, Fourth Week, #218-225, 299) and St. John Paul II (citing Coelius Sedulius’ “Paschale Carmen” in his May 21, 1997 address to general audience), and the Filipino devotion of Salubong ng Pagkabuhay . Thus, as a morning star signals sunrise, Mary the “Morning Star” leads us to epiphany of Christ.

In fact, Advent journey into the Christmastide reflects our journey to find Christ's appearance. We started this journey of searching in darkness, juxtaposing the darkness of sins and the darkness of night, on the First Sunday of Advent. We were reminded to stay awake and vigilant (ἀγρυπνέω(agrupneo) and γρηγορέω(gregoreo)) throughout our journey. 

While our journey was in Advent season, we were reminded to see with the eyes of faith rather than naked eyes, reflecting 2 Corinthians 5:7, on the Memorial Feast of St. Lucy (Santa Lucia), December 13, so that we do not lose our way even in darkness.  This is also reflected in “La noche oscura del alma”(the Dark Night of the Soul) by St. John of the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz) , whose Memorial Feast is on December 14.

With the increasing light of Advent Candles, the darkness became lessened as our journey advanced in Advent, nearing Christmas. Then, came Christmas day predawn, when Christ was born of Mary in Bethlehem.

If the shepherd in Luke 2 represent you, then, you have found Christ in the stable, then. However, like most of us, if the Magi represent you, you have not yet found Christ at that time and were still traveling, following the star. However, while Christ was still a baby, you, too, finally found Christ and rejoice, as the star points the place of Christ.

What was stella ejus in oriente (his star in the east)  for the Magi is now Maria Stella Matutina (Mary the Morning Star), and she is also known as Stella Maris (Star of the Sea). It is because Mary has been Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven), shining with heavenly light, to guide us and guide our way to her son, Jesus Christ. 

Have we seen the star?   Now, let Mary, Stella Matutina, guide our way, because she is also Madonna Della Strada (our lady of the road) in the Ignatian tradition, as stella ejus in oriente did to the Magi.  May our journey guided by Maria Stella de Caelo be consummated with our full encounter with Christ, as he desires for us in John 14:20.  Until we are one with Christ, our journey is not complete and we do not experience true epiphany. 

Though the Magi left once they paid homage to Christ, leaving gifts for him, we will not leave where he is. Unlike these pagans, we will stay with Christ and become one with him, because we are also adopted to the Holy Family.