Perfect Love - Trinity: Unity of the Lover, the Beloved, and the Dynamism of Love

Trinity is about Love, because God is Love. If God were not Love, there would not be Trinity.

Why?

Because for Love to exist, there have to be both the Lover and the Beloved - the one who loves and the one who is loved.  So, the Father is the Lover, and the Son is the Beloved. And, the Holy Spirit is the very dynamism of the Love between the Father, the Lover, and the Son, the Beloved.

The Love between the Father, the Lover, and the Son, the Beloved, works, in a way,  like the Newton’s Third Law: force and its counterforce between the two objects. But the force and the counterforce between the Father and the Son works more like Newton’s Law of the Universal Gravity: Two objects attracting each other. And the Holy Spirit is the dynamism of the Love of the Lover applied to the Son, the Beloved, attracting each other stronger and stronger to keep the two as one in perfect unity.

The Father, the Lover, applied the dynamism of His Love to His Son, His Beloved. In return, the Son applied this Love back to the Father, the Lover. Being affected by the Father’s Love, the Son is not only the Beloved but is another Lover. And, there is always this dynamism of Love between the Father, the Lover, and the Son, the Beloved.

And, One God plays all these three: the Father, the Lover, the Son, the Beloved, and the Holy Spirit, the dynamism of the Love, because God is Love, after all.

The dynamism of the Love, the Holy Spirit, cannot be contained between the Father, the Lover, and the Son, the Beloved. This dynamism is too powerful to be in contained. That is why the Trinity is expanding with its dynamism, the Holy Spirit. This dynamism, the Holy Spirit is the life force from the Father to His Beloved Son. But, this life force dynamism has also been sent to us, because we are also God’s beloved, for being made in His image.

We are not a mere object of the Lover’s Love. We have been given this life force, the Holy Spirit, the very dynamism keeping the Father and the Son as One, hypostatic homoousios (John 10:30). We have given this through the breath of the Father, the Lover as His beloved (Genesis 2:7), and the Son, the Beloved, also has applied this life-giving dynamism on us to keep our souls alive through his breath (John 20:22) so that we can receive the same dynamism with much greater forces on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).

This way, through the Holy Spirit, the very dynamism of Love, sent by the Father, the Lover, to the Son, the Beloved first, and sent back to the Father by the Son, growing stronger as set back and force to gravitate each other to keep them as One, has been sent first by the Father in His breath and then by His Son’s breath, and now also as much forceful dynamism on Pentecost to make us as One  Body of the Son, the Beloved (1 Corinthians 12:13), as this Love’s desire to unite us to the Triune God (John 14:20; 17:21).

Because we are empowered by this dynamism of Love, the Holy Spirit, and now accompanied and guided with wisdom as another Parakletos (John 14:16, 26), we go further expand the sphere of this Trinitarian Love with this dynamism of Love, the Holy Spirit to make disciples of all nations, first by baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19) to establish the Kingdom of God, who is Love the Triune. 

Where there is One living God, who plays the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, there is always this dynamism of Love, as sung in Ubi Caritas: Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.  As Pope Benedict XVI has said in his 2005 encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, in reflecting 1 John 4, where God is agape,  Our One God is not only caritas (agape) but also amor (eros). And the Holy Spirit’s dynamism reflects both caritas (agape) and amor (eros) caritas (agape) but also amor (eros) (i.e. Song of Songs 1:1-4), in addition to philia (i.e. Romans 8:29; Hebrews 2:11). But, all of these aspect of God, who is Love is derived from chesed , which is reflected in all verses of Psalm 136.

And this life-giving dynamism of Love, the Holy Spirit enabled Mary the Immaculate Virgin to bring the Son to this word in the human flesh of Jesus (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35), so that incarnated Logos-Theos can dwell among us as the Father’s co-Beloved (John 1:1-14), as our Parakletos in flesh (1 John 2:1), and as our merciful and eternal High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:6; 7:1-3). Then, upon Ascension of the Son, this life-giving dynamism has been poured with greater strengths upon us on Pentecost and stays with us as another Prakletos (John 14:16, 26) so that we are never left as orphans (John 14:8), because our Parakletos in flesh has promised us to be with us always until the end of time (Matthew 28:20). This way, we continue to be with the Son as One Body of Christ, born again of the Holy Spirit as the Father’s beloved and fellow beloved of His Beloved.

Because of Trinity, our One God is the perfect Love with full of life-giving force, and this force is eternal, eternal life, having conquering death with Resurrection in Paschal Mystery of the Son. And, thanks to the Father, who has sent the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to us, we have been benefactor of His Love and this dynamism of Love, giver of life, keeping us in this Love, represented with agape, eros, and philia.

As our One God is Triune, God is, indeed, omnipotent and omnipresent Love. 

Trinity Sunday (A): The Triune Koinonia of God in Connection with Our Koinonia of the Holy Spirit, the Ekklesia

The Scripture Readings for Trinity Sunday on Cycle A (Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9; Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18) address Trinity in this way:

The First Reading (Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9) reflects on the Father, focusing on His mercy (rachum) and love (chesed).

In its responsorial Psalm from Daniel 3 (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, NABRE), responding to the merciful Father reflected in the First Reading, we bless, glorify, and praise Him with joy.  

The Second Reading (2 Corinthians 13:11-13) is about fellowship (koinonia) of peace (eirene) and love (agape) through the Holy Spirit (Pneuma Hagion), sent from the Father (Pater), who has also sent the Son (Huios) as a gift (grace - charis).

The Gospel Reading (John 3:16-18) reminds us that the Father has sent the Son as a gift out of His love for us (John 3:16) so that the Son is in fellowship with us, as the incarnated Word dwells among us (John 1:14).

Through these readings, we can sense the steadfast love of God, chesed, which is more than agape, as chesed is only of God, the very essence of Trinity, the Triune God. Therefore, all three personas of Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are in hypostases of chesed, which is the ousia of Trinity. And, out of this chesed, the Triune God reaches out to us through the Son, who has commanded to practice agape (John 13:34), for the koinoia (fellowship) of eirene (peace), which has been born of the Holy Spirit as the Ekklesia (Church) (1 Corinthians 12:13).

Both the Son (Parakletos, 1 John 2:1) and the Holy Spirit (another Parakletos/allon Parakleton, John 14:16, 26) are send by the Father so that Parakletos is always with us (John 14:18; Matthew 28:20), as in the human flesh of Jesus, the Son, and as in the Holy Spirit. This is a desire of Jesus the Son (John 14:20; 17:21) to unite our fellowship of peace, the Church, with the Triune fellowship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is succinctly reflected in the Nicene Creed, which addresses all three personas of Trinity, as well as our identity as the Church.

See, how all three personas of Triune God are reflected in connection to us in today’s readings?


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The First Reading (Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9) focuses on the Father and reflects on His love (chesed) . Because of His love, the Father is merciful and therefore, slow to anger. Moses latched on the Father’s mercy for his fellow Israelites, who were stiff-necked, during the Exodus. During the Sermon of Plain, Jesus, the Son, has called us to be as merciful as the Father is, in dealing with people, who bring grievances to us (Luke 6:36), reflecting how God responded to Moses’ plea to the  for His mercy upon his fellow stiff-necked Israelites (Exodus 34:4-10). In fact, there is a bit of parallel between Exodus 34:4-10 and Luke 6:27-42, in regard to our call to strive for mercy in imitating the Father, who is abound with mercy.

Of course, being merciful to those who bother us, including our enemies, does not mean to turn our blind eyes to their wrongs. As Exodus 34:7 reminds, even the merciful Father does not overlook our wickedness but punish us for that. Likewise, Jesus does not teach us to ignore the wickedness of those who attack us but to protest it with our courageous firm resolve, as symbolized with “turning the other check”, (Luke 6:29). “Turning the other check” is a powerfully symbolic confrontation to the wrongs. It is not a mere pacifist passive surrender to the wickedness. Yet, it is not for us to judge and punish (Luke 6:37) as we are not God, who is perfect. That is why Jesus, the Son, calls us to be more mindful of our sinfulness (Luke 6:39, 42) and focus on becoming more merciful as the Father is so, with our unshakable determination to fight the wickedness. And, this is how God’s justice can be made into the reality through our imitation of God’s mercy.

In Christianity, God Godself is a koinonia (fellowship): in the fellowship of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These are the three personas of the Triune God. And, the Father has created the universe through the Son (Hebrews 1:2; cf. Matthew 28:18), and sent the Son in the human flesh of Jesus through the flesh of the Immaculate Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit as Christ (Luke 1:26-38; cf. Matthew 1:18), our Parakletos (1 John 2:1). It is because the Father loves us (John 3:16). The Christ, the Son, has called us to follow him as his disciples (i.e. Matthew 4:19), and he has formed a koinonia with us through the Word and the Bread. This table fellowship has become evident at the Last Supper. As his disciples, we strive to make our koinonia with Jesus, the Son, the Christ, the fellowship of love, which he has commanded (John 13:34-35), extended to even our enemies so that our love may be unconditional (Luke 6:27-36).

The Father is so merciful to us, stiff-necked sinners, because He loves us immeasurably. As reflected in the First Reading, there is nothing greater than His steadfast love (chesed), which can overcome our fallings and bring us back on the right path toward Him in the Kingdom. And, His mercy (rachum) is always readily available to us as His gift/grace (chen), flowing out of His chesed as what Pope Francis has called, “the current of grace”. In response this Father’s abiding love and mercy, how can we not to praise and glorify Him?  So, we bless, glorify, and praise the Father for His mercy out of his unconditional love poured out to us, even though we do not deserve (Daniel 3: 52, 53, 54, 55, 56).

Though these verses for this responsorial Psalm, taken from Daniel 3 (NABRE), are actually found in the “The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews” in the Apocrypha of the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Old Testament. In the Catholic  Bible (NABRE), “The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews “ is inserted in Daniel 3, from v.24 to v. 90.  As this poetic writing is part of the Apocrypha, these are only found in the Septuagint but not in the original Hebrew Old Testament (Tanakh). As a matter of fact, these verses are the praises sung by the three Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, while they are in the burning furnace of King Nebuchadnezzar. And, they were praising God for His steadfast love (chesed) and mercy (rachum) , protecting them in the fierce fire, as the protective womb (rechem), as the fireproof. In the biblical Hebrew, mercy of God (rachum) is derived from rechem, which means mother’s womb, where a new life is securely place, growing from a fertilized egg into a fully drown fetus, through zygote and embryo, protecting the most vulnerable form of life. And, citing these praising psalm words of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were protected by Father’s chesed manifested through His rachum as the fireproof rechem, we are praising, glorifying, and blessing the Father’s mercy’s protective power from harms.  Indeed, the fireproof protective shield of the Father’s mercy (rachum) out of His steadfast love (chesed) is the ultimate protective “womb” (rechem) of the mother.
 

 Moses asked the Father to stay with him and his fellow Israelites, asking for His favor (grace), forgiving their sins, taking them to His inheritance, the Land of Milk and Honey (Exodus 34:8-9). And, they found themselves in the Father’s favor, as He made a covenant to ensure of His companionship with them throughout the Exodus journey, as they honor and observe His Commandments (Exodus 34:10-11). Now, the Father’s favor for us, the sinners, has manifested through the physical presence of His Son, Jesus, as reflected in the Gospel Reading (John 3:16-18).

It all began with Nicodemus’ conversation with Jesus on the Kingdom of God. To be entitled to the Kingdom, Jesus told Nicodemus, we need to be born again (John 3:3), and it means that we need to be born not only of water but also of the Holy Spirit, as we need both flesh and the Spirit  to enter the Kingdom (John 3:5-6). Furthermore, Jesus touched on the nature of the Holy Spirit with a metaphor of a wind with its sound but its origin we may not know (John 3:8), further implicated with comparison to the water (John 7:37-39), as read for Pentecost Vigil Mass Gospel Reading, and reflecting the Holy Spirit on Pentecost  (Acts 2 :1-4). And, Jesus implicated to Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit to be baptized of and to be born again for the Kingdom and eternal life will be available upon his glorification, being lifted up as the serpent on Moses’ pole, referring to his death on the Cross, resurrection, and ascension (John 3:14-15).

With this, we can appreciate that the Gospel Reading (John 3:16-18), in connection to the First Reading (Exodus 34: 4b-6, 8-9 ). The Father, who is love (agape, chesed) (1 John 4:8, 16 cf. Psalm 136), and therefore, so merciful (Exodus 34:6-7), has sent His Son, to us out of His love (John 3:16) so that we are not condemned though we have been stiff-necked sinners as the Israelites on Exodus. And, the Holy Spirit, of which we are to be born again, upon being baptized of water, is sent by the Father, upon the Son’s glorification. On Pentecost, we have received the Holy Spirit and been born again of this One Spirit to be born as One Body of Christ, namely, the Church (1 Corinthians 12:13). And, this is reflected also in Jesus’ Farewell Discourse and Prayer in John 14-17.

By becoming the One Body of Christ, having being born again, being baptized of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father, upon the glorification of the Son, who has been sent also by the Father, we are not condemned but enjoy salvation through eternal life, leading to the Kingdom, father than the Land of Milk and Honey. Throughout our spiritual Exodus to the Kingdom, the merciful Father, ensures that we are always accompanied by Parakletos, in flesh, as well as in Spirit: Jesus Christ the Son (Parakletos) and the Holy Spirit (and has sent the Holy Spirit as another Parakletos. And through the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, we have been baptized to be born again – to be reborn as the Ekklesia, One Body of Christ with many parts with Christ the Son, the head, and Mary, the mother the heart. This is our koinonia of eiren, in which, we are greeted with these words, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you" (2 Corinthians 13:13) as we begin our Mass with its two pillars: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. So, the Presider offers a greeting of peace, “Peace be with you”, and we respond, “With your Spirit”, recalling the risen Christ offering the Holy Spirit in his gentle breath (John 20:22).  As reflected in the Second Reading (2 Corinthians 13:11-13), the fellowship of peace, in which we greet each other with holy kiss for peace and harmony, as One Body, in which all its parts in functioning harmonious order, in sanitas (health), leading to salus (salvation).

The Lord Jesus is the grace (gift), the Son, Parakeletos (1 John 2:1), sent from the Father out of His steadfast love (John 3:16) to dwell among us (John 1:14), as Immanuel (Matthew 1:23), in our communion (fellowship) of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:13), another Parakletos (John 14:16, 26). And we call this communion with Christ the Son, in the Holy Eucharist, sanctified with the Holy Spirit, the one holy catholic apostolic Church.

Trinity Sunday - Our Ecclesiastical Koinonia and the Triune Koinonia of Divine Hypostatic Homoousios

The Sunday after Pentecost Sunday, before Corpus Christi Sunday, is Trinity Sunday. There is a good reason for Trinity Sunday to be celebrated between Pentecost Sunday and Corpus Christi Sunday.

During his farewell discourse to the disciples and prayer on the night before his death (John 14-17), Jesus described all three in Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in their Trinune fellowship. Not only that, Jesus expressed his ardent desire to form the kind of fellowship he has with the Father also with us, as we are in the fellowship with one another. 

Jesus, the Son, identified his consubstantial oneness (homoousious) with the Father in John 10:30, and explained it further as the Father and the Son in each other reciprocally in John 10:38. This Father-Son unity is brought as the undercurrent for his discourse to introduce the Holy Spirit as another Parakletos (John 14:16), while he himself is Parakletos (1 John 2:1). Parakletos is often translated in English as “Advocate” or “Comforter”. But it literally means “being called to be besides or to be companion to someone”.  In John 14, Jesus the Son assured that we are always with Parakletos, either as in the human flesh of Jesus or as in the pure Holy Spirit, so that we will never be left as orphans, even though we may not be with him in person for some time being (John 14:18).  Jesus assured on the night before his death that we are always in fellowship (koinonia) with Parakletos, in the human flesh of Jesus, the Son of Mary, or in the pure spirit, the Holy Spirit. Or can be both, because as we celebrate on Corpus Christi Sunday, Parakletos in the human flesh of Jesus can be brought to us when a priest calls upon the Holy Spirit through Epiklesis during Eucharistic Prayer at Mass. In the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, we encounter Parakletos with his living flesh and blood, so that we may enjoy eternal life, as Jesus explained in John 6:25-65.

The context of Jesus’ farewell discourse and prayer to strengthen our fellowship (koinonia) of faith, hope, and love, by connecting it to the Triune fellowship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, was the table fellowship of the Last Supper.  In connecting John 14-17 to Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-20; Luke 24:45-53, and Acts 1:1-10, 2:1-47, you realize that through the Holy Spirit, as another Parakletos in Jesus’ promise (John 14:16, 26), the Spirit of the Father’s promise (Luke 24:49), is being sent to us in our fellowship of faith, hope, and love, through the powerful Holy Spirit, like ruah (mighty divine wind) with tongs of fire (Acts 2:2-3), so that our fellowship (koinonia) is born into One Body of Christ through this One Spirit, the Holy Spirit, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:13, namely, we are born again of the Holy Spirit, as Jesus told Nicodemus to inherit the Kingdom of God  (John 3:3, 6-8). And, this our new birth of the Holy Spirit is the birth of the Church, Ekklesia, on Pentecost, bound for the Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.  Therefore, on Pentecost, by being bon of the Holy Spirit, our koinonia has been born into the Ekklesia, the one, holy, catholic, apostolic Church, as in the Nicene Creed.

Because our One God is relational, God Godself is not just ousia (being) but God is divine koinonia(fellowship) among the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And, these three in this divine koinonia (fellowship), called Trinity, are in unity, characterized with homoousios (sharing the same ousia (essence, being)) but three different hypostases : the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Trinity is the divine fellowship (koinonia) of hypostatic unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And, Jesus wants to connect us, being born of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost as the Ekklesia (the Church), One Body of Christ, to be in uniformed fellowship (koinonia) with this Trinitarian divine fellowship (koinonia) of homoousios.

It does not have to be Trinity Sunday but any day whenever we celebrate Mass on any day (except for Holy Saturday until Paschal Vigil), because the presiding priest reminds us that we are, indeed, in koinonia not only with each other but with our Triune God as the Ekklesia, as Mass begins, evoking 2 Corinthians 13:13, “The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the. Holy Spirit be with you all”.

Both the Son and the Holy Spirit are sent by the Father as gifts to us, because God is love, and out of His love (John 3:16). And, the Son, though pre-existed the Creation (Hebrews 1:1-11; John 1:1-18; Colossians 1:16; cf. Proverbs 8:22-31), has been sent to us, by the Father’s love, in the human flesh of Jesus through Mary’s Immaculate flesh, by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35), so that he, as Emmanuel (God with us)(Matthew 1:23; cf. Isaiah 7:14), can dwell among us (John 1:14) in our koinonia (fellowship). Then, through this Son, Jesus, Parakletos (1 John 2:1), we have received another grace, the Holy Spirit, as another Parakletos (John 14:16) for a greater fellowship (koinonia), being born to One Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13), the Ekklesia (the Church), in which Corporis et Sanguinis Christi are found in the Sacrament of the Eucharist by the power of the same One Spirit, the Holy Spirit through transubstantiation of offered bread and wine for our table fellowship (koinonia), communion, with our Lord Jesus Christ, who is in the hypostatic union with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

The Birthday of the Church, Pentecost: Reversing the Divisive Effects of the Tower of Babel by Redeeming Unity

It's Pentecost, wrapping up with the 50 day celebration of the resurrection of Christ. And, it is also the day of celebration for this is the birthday of the Church - the one holy catholic apostolic Church, as proclaimed in the Nicene Creed.  It's time to be sent out to do some serious works - very important work, given how sick the world is today.

There is something important drawn from the First Readings on Pentecost Vigil Mass and Pentecost Day Mass. And, what is discern from this comparative reading gives a lesson very necessary today, especially in this time the world suffer from divisions and confusion. The current covid-19 pandemic’s social effects are characterized with confusion and division. Many are confused if covid-19 is a real new deadly pandemic or nothing but one of these influenzas and if the responsible pathogen, novel coronavirus, is artificially developed with a certain malicious intention or is one of these zoonotic viruses. And divisions accompany with this confusion as to how we should respond to the pandemic phenomena: There are those who take it seriously with a careful measures and those who refuse to do so but laugh at those who take the matter seriously. This does not help combat the pandemic at all. In order to overcome it, we must be in unity. When divided and confused, no battle can be won. And, one important lesson from Pentecost is unity.

The first option for the First Reading for Pentecost Vigil Mass (Genesis 11;1-9) recalls how our sin of pride to make our own name, trying to stand in par with God, resulted in division and confusion, represented with many different tongues. However, as the First Reading for Pentecost Mass (Acts 2:1-11) describes, God has begun reversing the dividing and confusing effects of building the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:9), by sending the mighty Holy Spirit to the disciples in unity, baptizing them into one body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13 – from the Second Reading for Pentecost ), thus, giving birth to the one holy apostolic catholic Church, through the Holy Spirit and one unified body of the disciples, as the Logos-Theos became flesh (John 1:14) through the Holy Spirit and the flesh of Immaculate Mary (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35), to give birth to Christ (Luke 1:26-38).

As Christmas is the birthday of Jesus, who is pre-existing Christ, the Logos-Theos, the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost is the birthday of the Church, his bride, also by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Christ in the human flesh of Jesus has come to reverse the evolving effects of what Adam and his wife, Eve, has brought with their Original Sin. For this reason, he came as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, as John the Baptist claimed of Christ (John 1:29). On the other hand, the Church, born through the Holy Spirit, as the disciples were baptized into this powerful Spirit as one body (1 Corinthians 12:13), to reverse what the Tower of Babel symbolically reminds: divisions and confusions, resulting of our sins.

It was Christ in Jesus, who came to this earth, to bring scattered people as one, back to his fold, as the Good Shepherd. And, for this he laid his life for us – our redemption (John 10:11). He invites us to be one with him as he is with the Father (John 14:20) and as the vine and its branches are connected seamlessly so that we can bear abundant fruit of mission of his love (John 15:1-17). After all, unity is Christ’s deep desire for us (John 17:21). So, while he is up in heaven, working on our places (John 14:2-3), Christ wants us to carry on his works on earth (John 14:12). Of course, he is not expecting us alone to do his works without any help and resources. That is why he has promised us to have a great gift – another Parakletos (John 14:16), the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17), echoing his statement in John 14:13-14). And, this promise of his on the gift has delivered on Pentecost as the mighty Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), the very one Spirit, to which we are called to be baptized to become and united as one body (1 Corinthians 12:13).

Before ascending into heaven, returning to the Father, Christ has commissioned us to be sent out as the apostles to make disciples of all nations with a promise of perpetual companionship of Parakletos (Matthew 28:19-20  and 1 John 2:1). This is for us to reverse to reverse the effects the Tower of Babel out of our pride (Genesis 11:1-9) so that all the divisions and confusions will be overcome and so that all the scattered people will be brought and united as one – as one growing body of Christ, who is one with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

Let us embark upon our mission for unity, overcoming divisions and confusions by renewing and empowering our faith in the risen Christ through the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

仁の美徳による良心と自由と寛容性について：Covid-19 パンデミックに対する自粛呼びかけと民衆の行動的対応

新型コロナウイルスによるCovid-19パンデミックに対する政府による自粛呼びかけとそれに対する人々の行動的反応は、自由と寛容性は個人の私的欲望ではなく公的共通利益が前提であり、その更なる前提は仁の心による良心であることを改めて考えさせてくれます。

自由という言葉の他、あたかもそれが普遍的であるかのように使われている言葉の一つに寛容性という言葉があります。その理由の一つに、これらの言葉が意味する概念に相関性があるからだといえます。つまり、自由であれば、必然的に、寛容性もそこにある、と考えることができ、また、寛容性を自由にとっての必要条件ともみなすことができるからです。しかし、自由にしろ、寛容性にしろ、これら各々には思いがけない落とし穴が内在していることにお気付きでしょうか？

そもそも、私達が思いがちの自由とは本当の自由とは限らないからです。しかも、本当の自由でない自由を自分でそうだと思い込んでいる人は、寛容性についても正しい認識をしていないと考えられます。自由や寛容性について誤った考えを持つ人は、それらを主観的に絶対化し、また、普遍的なものであると思い込んでいる傾向にあるといえます。そして、こうした人達はどちらかというと自己中心的で、自己主張が人一倍強く、自分の権利を過大評価的に主張する一方、自分の義務については過小評的だといえます。それもそのはず、彼が思い込んでいる自由にとって義務というのはそれを制約する要素だからです。つまり、彼らがいう自由とは我がまま、気まま、他の人のことや社会のことに気遣いすることなく振舞える環境のことなのです。彼らの自由とは自分の頭の中で作り上げたおとぎの世界の桃源郷でしかないのです。

しかし、現実はおとぎの世界と違い、様々な義務があり制約もあります。そして、その理由は自由を制約、制圧、することが目的ではなく、社会全体の秩序を維持することが目的なのです。しかし、彼らの不条理な考え方からみれば、義務や法や道徳というものは自由の敵と見なされるのです。なぜならば、彼らには義務、法、徳、の目的について盲目的だからです。そして、その盲目性の背後には、彼らの自己中心的、つまり、ナルシシスト、な心理があるからです。

そして、こうした間違った自由についての思い込みをしている人は、自分が勝手気ままに振る舞い続けることができる限り、秩序維持の為の義務、法、徳、を無視して行動することで社会の治安や公衆衛生を脅かしかねないような他の人達を寛容という名の下で容認する傾向にあります。

現在の新コロナウイルスによるcovid-19の世界的パンデミックの中、この自由と寛容についての問題が露呈されています。

疫病の広まりを最小限に食い止める為に政府は外出自粛、マスク着用、適切な対人距離を置くこと（三密禁止）などを国民に呼びかけ、その殆どがこうした政府からの呼びかけで速やかにこれらのことを実行してきました。そうの効果あって、国際的にも日本のcovid-19対策は効果的だと評価されています。

欧米の新聞などは、人口密度が欧米諸国よりもかなり高いにも関わらず日本のcovid-19による死者が１０００人未満であり収束に向かっている事実の背後には日本人に特徴的な他人や社会全体のことを思う心で行動する美徳があると評価しています。これは、東日本大震災後の被災者の秩序正しさと辛抱強さについて、欧米の報道が分析をした時にもこうした日本人特有の美徳だと結論付けていました。

しかし、たとえその数は少ないとはいえ、マスクなしで外出し、三密状態を形成し、また、そうしたことを助長する人もいました。政府からの呼びかけだから実質的に法的拘束力がないので無視して、疫病拡散防止などといった公衆衛生よりも自分の自由を自分が思うままに追求するのです。そうした人達を寛容する人達は、社会の自由とか寛容性ということで自分勝手な行動をする人達の容認を正当化します。更に厄介なのは、こうした自由や寛容性の理解をしている人達の中には、covid-19は、ある勢力が皆を恐怖に陥れ世の中を混乱させる為に作り上げた脅しなので、本当は普通のインフルエンザだから大騒ぎして家に篭ったり、わざわざマスクつけて外出しなくてもいい、ただ今まで通りに暮らしていればいい、というように陰謀説でもって自分たちの反社会的行動を正当化します。

ここで大切なのは、政府からの呼びかけを個人の自由への干渉だと思い込み、それに対応した行動ができずに、行動し続ける人は、そうした行動が自己本位であり、ただそれだけでなく、それ故に、他の不特定多数の市民の健康、ひいては社会全体の公衆衛生を脅かしかねないものであるということが自覚できていないといえます。これは、発達心理学的な問題でもあり、自己中心的だった幼少期のまま、思春期の頃までに体験すべきだった自己欲求と社会との協調、共存についての必要性からの二極的対立の葛藤を克服できずに体だけが大人になった結果です。こうした彼らの発達上の問題に理解を示しても、それだからといって彼らの間違った自由に沿った自己中心的行動を容認するということは間違った寛容性です。

他人や社会のことを思うことができる人であれば、政府から法で縛られなくても、自分の良心もってこうした呼びかけに何の違和感をも感じず、当然のこととして自粛などへと行動を変えていきます。そして、これは良心や思いやりの心があるからこその本当の自由なのです。つまり、本当の自由とは行動の動機そのものにあり、他人や社会への心遣い、思いやりが無い自己中心的な心での行動の結果ではありません。

こうした自己中心的な行動を取り締まることなく、そうした行動をとっている人個人の自由なんだからと容認し続けるという寛容性は、犯罪行為、非人道的行為をも、寛容性という正当化で容認していることと本質的に同じ事です。なぜならば、こうした自己中心的行為は反社会的だといえるからです。そして、こうした反社会的行動に対して寛容的でありそれを容認してしまえば、社会の公安、衛生は損なわれ、結局、皆がその弊害を被り、社会は崩壊していくことになります。そうなってしまえば自由なんてありません。

 行動としての自由や寛容性というものには、社会全体の衛生や公安ということを維持する上で障害となりうるのであれば、制約をうけねばならないということがプラトンから孔子まで、世の東西共通の法哲学原理、社会倫理にもあります。そして、プラトンの弟子、アリストテレス、更に、孔子の弟子、孟子、は更に、思いやり、仁の美徳、をその特徴とする良心を活かすことの重要性を説き、そうすれば、寛容的で自由な社会がその公安と衛生を維持しつつ達成できると結論付けています。

別に、哲学やその一分野である倫理学、そして法学などに精通する必要はありません。社会的良識があり他人を思いやる心さえあれば良心の自由で自分らしく振舞い続けることができるからです。

つまり、本当の自由とは良心なくして有りえないものであり、寛容性とは、良心にそった行動ができないが故に社会全体で皆で共有すべき無形財産ともいえる公安や公衆衛生に支障をきたす人達を社会を構成する人間として尊重しつつも、彼らのこうした行動を容認するということではないのです。もし、私達が良心にそって行動できないのであれば、社会の秩序を守る道徳的かつ法的義務がある政府は法によって、社会の公安、衛生維持の為、私達の行動を法で規制し、それでもこうした法を遵守できないのであれば、規制というよりも束縛するようになるでしょう。

良心があれば政府からの呼びかけ、勧告、だけで私達は社会の公安と衛生の為、ひいては、他の人のことと自分のこと両方をおもいやり、適切な行動ができるのです。そして、こうしたことに対し、自分の自由が奪われたとは考えないものです。

良心で行動できる市民が大多数を占める社会であれば、政府からの呼びかけや勧告だけで市民の良心を喚起できる為、より束縛的な法によらなくても社会の秩序、公安、衛生、などが脅かされたり損なわれることなく維持できます。そして、こうした社会全体で共有できる秩序、公安、衛生、という目的を共有できる限り、その手法についての個人の様々な個性や意見の違いを尊重でき、慣用性も必然的に機能できるわけです。つまり、自由とそれに関連する寛容性は、思いやり、仁の美徳が備わった人間の良心がしっかりと機能するという絶対必要条件があることを忘れてはならないのです。

人間が人間である理由は進化学的にみても、それは他人を思いやる心があるということです。恐竜滅亡後、哺乳類は他の小動物と同じようにそれまで恐竜からの脅威に対し自己保全だけに生きてきましたが、こうした脅威からの開放され、集団でお互いを助け合いながら暮らせるようになりました。そうした中、直立歩行でき、目の位置も顔の両側から前面へと移り、道具を開発することでより便利な集団生活を営めるようになり、社会を築いてきたのです。個々で大切なのは、目の位置の変化であり、恐竜からの脅威により自己保全だけに生きていた四つんばいの時代、哺乳類の目はネズミなどのげっ歯類の目のように顔の左右両側にあり、これにより３６０度に近い視界を維持し、警戒していました。しかし、恐竜からの脅威からの開放によりそうした必要もなくなり、集団生活に営むことで自己保全に執着しなくてももっと他の人達と協力しあうことで自分一人ではできないことも皆で成し遂げられるようになることを体験し、自分同様に一緒に協力して働く他人のことをも思うようになり、目の位置も自分の目の前へと移行することで自分の目の前にいる他人へと集中できるようなったわけです。

つまり、進化の過程から、私達の祖先は、脅威からの解放で得た自由により、自己中心的な執着からも開放され、他人の存在の意義を認識できるようになり、協調のある集団生活を営むことで、それまでの自己中心的な生活ではできなかったより多くのことを他人との協力によって達成できることを体験してきながら、公安と衛生という二本柱の共有財産を維持できる社会というものを形成してきたわけです。こうした道のりで得たものが、目の位置の進化学的変化が示すように、他人への思いやりであり、仁の美徳であり、これがアリストテレスや孟子が説く良心の真髄となったわけです。そして、こうした良心があってこそ、私達は本当の自由を享受していけるわけです。また、本当の寛容性とは、反社会的行為を容認することでこうした自由を妨げるものであってはならないのです。

Pentecost: Confirmation of the Successful Mastery of the “Students of Professor Jesus” with the Gift of the Mighty Holy Spirit – Charismatization of the Disciples

This coming Sunday is Pentecost! Regardless of denominations, Christians all over the world celebrate this big feast with a great joy as it gives what the Nativity and the Resurrection of the Lord cannot give. On Pentecost, we are baptized into one body of Christ, by the power of one Spirit, sent by the Father in Son's name. Thus, it is our birthday together as the Church on earth! But, for us to enjoy this feast, there has been a long way, stretching from the original disciples.

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Any Catholics who managed to complete CCD course with the Sacrament of Confirmation know that we have 50 days of celebration for the Resurrection of the Lord, from the Resurrection Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. We have “endured” 40 days of Lent from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday. And from the sundown of Holy Thursday until the vigil for Resurrection, we have observed Paschal Triduum, to prepare ourselves for these 50 days of joyous celebration of Resurrection for Paschaltide.  After all, the resurrection of Jesus makes our faith, as well as our Christian life, immeasurably meaningful (1 Corinthians 15:12-14). Therefore, these Paschaltide 50 days are also a period of celebration for our life of faith in Christ, who has risen.

Though it is a celebration, the Paschaltide of 50 days is also a continual transformative learning process beyond Lenten Season and Paschal Triduuum, given how the disciples spent the first 40 days of these 50 days until Pentecost from the day of Jesus’ resurrection. During these first 40 days, the risen Jesus had to work on his disciples to ensure their learning of his teaching had achieved to the level to be sent out to all nations on earth as fishers of people, on their apostolic mission. As their reaction to the empty tomb of Jesus in the early morning of the resurrection day show, none of them were far from being ready to be sent on the day of their master’s resurrection, even though Jesus spent nearly 3 years, teaching them through his words and signs, from Galilee to Jerusalem. Jesus even gave a comprehensive review on all of his teaching, ending with his prayer, on the night before his death, just before he entered into his intense passion, as written in John 14-17.  During that review, Jesus introduced the Holy Spirit, in relation not only to him, the Son, but also to the Father. Thus, Trinity was revealed to his disciples during that review, while he also promised to send the Holy Spirit to them upon his departure so that they would not be left as orphans and so that they would be able to continue on their mission with him, as he continues to guide and teach in the Spirit. Both the Son and the Holy Spirit are, in essence, Parakletos (1 John 2:1; John 14:16,26).

Given this, “Professor Jesus” could not ascend on the day of his resurrection. None of his students had attained a passing grade. Though it was beyond the prophesies in the Old Testament for the Messiah to do on earth,  “Professor Jesus” had to remain on earth to give “remedial prep course” to his near-failing “students” to ensure of their readiness to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, the power, to be sent out on their apostolic mission, as fishers of people, to evangelize, catechize, and charismatize people of all nations.  So, “Professor Jesus” spent these 40 days, from the very day of his resurrection to the day of his ascension.

“Prosser Jesus” must be extremely patient. He did not get upset about his “students” extremely poor learning outcome. He could have said, “I can’t believe how ignorant you have been for these 3 years that I had taught you not only by my Word but also by demonstration of my Signs!”. Or, to be more biblical, “Professor Jesus” could have rebuked his “students”, “I can’t believe how blind you had been! You guys are just as blind as these high priests and Pharisees!”.  Instead, as “Professor Jesus” began the 40-day remedial prep course” for his disciples, in the evening of the resurrection day, he was very gentile, first, with his greeting of peace, “Peace be with you”, followed by his offering of the Holy Spirit through his gentle breath.

Good teachers never put their students down – no matter how slow their learning processes may be and no matter how poor their masteries may be. They never insult their students and hurt the students’ dignity. At the same time, they never pretend as if their students deserve a passing grade when they are not. And they are willing to do everything in their faculties to bring their students to a passing level, because it is their calling to teach.  “Professor Jesus” exemplifies this – what it means to teach. And, it took him the 40-day “detour” on earth, rather than going up straight to heaven, even though he had already completed all of his requirements, as prophesized in the Old Testament, when he rose on the third day from his death.

These first 40 days of the disciples going through intense remedial review course of what Jesus had taught before his death, upon his resurrection, is well reflected in Luke 24:13-35, in which two disciples’ ignorance about Jesus and his teaching was gradually overcome by the word of rise Jesus and their hearts were enflamed to tell the good news of their encounter with risen Jesus.

The “students” managed to complete their “remedial prep course” by “professor Jesus”’ ascension. And, they spent next 9 days in prayers as they stayed together in Jerusalem, getting ready for their “commencement” to receive the powerful gift of the Holy Spirit and to be sent out to do the works of their “professor” even on a greater scale (John 14:11-17), as light to the world and salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13-16).

The Gospel Reading for Pentecost Sunday Mass during the day (John 20: 19-23) is identical to the first part of the Gospel Reading for the Second Sunday of Paschaltide (Divine Mercy Sunday)(John 20:19-31). And, its corresponding First Reading is taken from Acts 2:1-11. And, these readings in celebrating Pentecost, the receiving of the mighty Holy Spirit on the 50^th day from Resurrection and 9 days after Ascension is really about the Holy Spirit. But, in contrasting the Gospel Reading and the First Reading, we notice that the Holy Spirit can come to us as a gentle breath of Jesus (John 20:22) and with the sound of mighty winds, while appearing like tongues of fire (Acts 2:2-3).

The Holy Spirit was in the form of Jesus’ gentle breath, in the evening of his resurrection, as he began the 40-day “remedial review course” to enlighten the ignorance of his disciples for their mission. And, in commencing them on their mission, the Holy Spirit was very powerful, imposing impressions of gushing winds and flaming fire.  Gentle and powerful – these are just two characters of the Holy Spirit. But, both on day one and on day fifty, whether gentle or powerful, the Holy Spirit was transformative to the disciples.

With a gentle form of Jesus’ breath, the Holy Spirit thawed the disciples’ hearts frozen with fear. Their hearts were as stiff as ice because of their poor mastery of Jesus’ teaching for the past 3 years. Jesus had repeatedly foretold his death and resurrection, reminding these are to fulfill the Scriptures (referring to Isaiah 53:12-53:12, in particular). Had they achieved a “passing grade” by the time of “professor Jesus”’s death, their hearts would not have been stiff with fear and grief. Rather, they would have met risen Jesus at the moment of the resurrection as they would have kept vigil by his tomb. And, they would hosted a celebration dinner for their risen “professor”. If that were the case, Jesus could have ascended into heaven on that night. But, the condition of the disciples was near death as their faith was in question as they were in fear and confusion about the empty tomb.

Thanks to the Holy Spirit, poured upon the disciples, through the gentle breath of risen Jesus, their fear, grief, and confusion, were transformed into joy. The Holy Spirit in Jesus’ gentle breath resuscitated the hearts and the souls of his disciples, invoking how God the Father, the Creator, brought life to Adam, by breathing into his nostril (Genesis 2:7).  And, this was how “professor Jesus” began his 40-day “remedial prep course” upon his resurrection for his disciples so that they would not fail. It all began with the Holy Spirit.

Having received the Holy Spirit, with their hearts and souls brought back to full life, as demonstrated in their joy, not only they came to understand the resurrection but came to gain Christological insights on Jesus,  by reviewing his teaching from the past 3 years, from Galilee to Jerusalem, with full understanding of his death and resurrection. 

So, on the 40^th day from the initiation of the “prep course” with the Holy Spirit in his gentle breath, “professor Jesus” had no reservation in departing from his “students” and entrusting them to the Holy Spirit, whom he called “another Parakletos”(John 14:16). So, he finally ascended back to the Father in heaven, to begin his next assignment: building places for us in heaven as a son of Joseph, the carpenter (John 14:2-3). And, by ascending, “professor Jesus” could ensure all the benefits for his “students” brought by the Holy Spirit (John 16:7).

What are the benefits for the disciples, coming with the Holy Spirit, another Parakletos, then?  And, these are written in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 (cf. Isaiah 11:2; Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:7-13): wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, signs with mighty deeds, prophecy, discernment, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. And, as we are benefited from and make the best out of these gifts of the Holy Spirit, we can be abundantly fruitful (John 15:2), bringing forth the multifaceted fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, forebearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). And, the works of Jesus that his “students” carry out as the apostles, upon completing his 40-day “remedial prep course” and receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit, loaded with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, at their “commencement” on Pentecost, are to bear these as the fruit of their missionary works.

The Second Reading (1 Corinthians 12: 3b-7, 12-13) is a reminder that the disciples have been born into one body of Christ with many parts through one Spirit, called the Holy Spirit, on Pentecost. Thus, Pentecost is not only to celebrate receiving the powerful Holy Spirit to confirm the mastery of “professor Jesus”’s “students” but to have them transformed into the Ekklesia, the Church, those who are called upon earth with another Parakletos, who is called to be besides as a comforting and advocating companion.  Called by one Spirit, the mighty Holy Spirit, of tongues of fire, on Pentecost, we, too, are transformed to be sent out as one unified body, not only with each other but with connected with Christ Jesus, the Son, as the head (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22; 5:23), reflecting Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21.Through the Holy Spirit, we are all baptized into one body of Christ (1 Corinthian 12:13), as to be in him, for it is of Jesus’ desire (John 14:20; 17:21), reflecting the complete joy shared with him (John 15:11).

It all started with near-failing “students” of “professor Jesus” when he returned to them from the dead, with the Holy Spirit in his gentle breath. And, they caught up with their learning and achieved a passing level in 40 days from then. On the 50^th day from the starting day of the “remedial prep course”, 9 days after the “professor”s return to the Father in heaven, their mastery was confirmed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father, in the name of their “professor”, the Son. And, it came to them with great energy energy. Immediately, they were transformed further into the apostles. And, through this one Spirit, one gift of the confirmation, the Holy Spirit, they were born into the Church, the one body of Christ with many parts, reflecting one Spirit with many gifts.  At the same time, they became fully charismatized themselves with many gifts to bring forth abundant fruits.  And, they have started transforming the world to build the Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven in the mighty name of their “professor”, Jesus, the living Christ, through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit.

Having received the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of Confirmation, nourished with the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, as well as the Word, we, too, are filled with the same Holy Spirit, to be sent and carry on the works of Jesus, passed on by the apostles.

Why Jesus Did Not Ascend into Heaven When Resurrected from the Dead? - Understanding the First 40 Days of the 50 Days of Paschaltide: The Professor Jesus’ “Salvific Missionary” Course and His Students’ Mastery

If someone asks you, “Why didn’t Jesus go straight to heaven when he resurrected from the dead? Why he made resurrection and ascension separate and spent 40 days on earth, rather than making resurrection and ascension into just one streamlined process?”,  how would you answer?

I asked this question when I was teaching about the Scripture readings for Ascension. I invited my audience to imagine Jesus as a mobile professor, who travels with his students. And, his disciples as students, who followed their professor, wherever he went. Just for the sake of figuring out the why of the question metaphorically, based on the canonical Gospel stories.

The canonical Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, provide stories about the professor Jesus and his students: how he recruited his students and started his teaching in Galilee and completed in Jerusalem before his death on the Cross and how he reappeared to them upon his resurrection.

All of these Gospels could have ended with the professor Jesus’ resurrection as it could be considered as his fulfillment of Isaiah’s Fourth Servant Song: 52:13-53:12. Then, the resurrection and the ascension would have been just one seamless process.

Imagine that all of his students gathered around the professor Jesus’ tomb, keeping vigil, on the third day from his death. They would have witnessed their professor Jesus actually coming out of his tomb and ascending from there. But, the question is why things did not go this way?

The students did not kept vigil by the tomb because they did not retain their professor’s important teaching: his repeated foretelling of his death and resurrection as the fulfillment of the Scriptures. Many of them scattered out upon the professor Jesus’ arrest, following his prayer in agony.

The Gospel readings from Paschal Vigil Mass, Resurrection Sunday Mass, Second Sunday of Paschaltide Sunday (Divine Sunday) Mass and Third Sunday of Paschaltide Sunday Mass, indicate that none of the professor Jesus’ students understood his resurrection because they did not remember his repeated foretelling of his death and resurrection.  Had they remembered and understood, they would have kept vigil by his tomb. As these Gospel readings remind, that is why they were afraid and confused with the professor’s empty tomb, while grieving for his death, on the day of his resurrection. It proves that his students did not understand a very important teaching of their professor, Jesus, though he had repeatedly foretold of his death and resurrection since Peter’s proclamation of professor Jesus as the Messiah, the living Son of God.

The students of the professor Jesus were not in the state of deserving a passing grade when Jesus fulfilled the Scriptures at the time of his resurrection. Imagine, what if he had ascended on the day of his resurrection… His students, the disciples, would not have been sent to all the ends of the earth as the apostles. Even the Holy Spirit had been poured out on them, they would not be so affected, because they had not matured in faith to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Then, giving the Holy Spirit to them would be like giving pearls to the swine. Then, Luke would not have had a reason to write the Acts of the Apostles and there would not been the Church.

Based on four Servant Songs in the Book of Isaiah (42:1–4; 49:1–6; 50:4–7; and 52:13–53:12 ), which the professor Jesus is the subject to fulfill, his mission could have completed with his resurrection. Thus, he could have ascended straight into heaven when he rose from the dead, in fulfilling the fourth (last) Servant Song (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). But, he did not go into heaven when he resurrected. Instead, he spent 40 days on earth, appearing to his students to teach about his Kingdom (Acts 1:3), though he had already taught about the Kingdom before his death. This reminds that the professor Jesus did not limit his mission to the minimum requirement by his Father: teaching the Good News of salvation, prophesized in the Old Testament, and making healing signs to affirm the validity of the Good News. And, he was not minimalist.  Thus, he wanted to make sure that his students are truly ready to deserve the Holy Spirit upon their completion of the course and to be sent out as his apostles.  So, finding that they were not ready because of their poor achievement, on the day of his resurrection, he had to stay and give them a remedial prep course.

Not all students pass. Some students drop out. Some fail the course. And, some receive an “incomplete” and need to do remedial works so that they will not fail but pass the course later.

The disciples were students. The word “disciple”(mathetes) means “learner” in the biblical Greek. And their professor was Jesus, whom they called “rabbi” or “maestro”. 


Enrolling the grand course of salvific mission, taught by Jesus, by his invitation, the disciples spent nearly 3 years with their professor, Jesus. Sometime, the class room was in a synagogue in Galilee. Sometimes, it was in the Temple in Jerusalem. It was also on the mount. It was also in someone’s house. He even taught on a fishing boat. And, like a science course, he did a lot of “lab” teaching.  Actually, not confined in a kind of laboratory you may think, but his lab was anywhere in the world. Whenever he made signs, these were his lab demonstration teachings.

Then, on the night before his death, Jesus the professor, gave rather a lengthy lecture to his students, the disciples. The lecture and how the students responded are written in John 14, 15, 16. And, he concluded his lecture with an extensive prayer, known as High Priestly Prayer, written in John 17.

After this, the professor was arrested by the forces tipped by the betrayer, and thus he entered into his Passion and died on the Cross.

As he had foretold more than once, the professor resurrected from the dead on the third day and made his tomb empty. Some students came to the empty tomb of his. But, they had no idea what had happened to the corpse of their professor – except for Mary Magdalene, as she met the risen professor as she stayed by the tomb crying, while others left wondering. Mary later told them about her encounter with the risen professor. But, they did not believe it.

Then, the risen professor appeared to the two disciples walking to Emmaus. They thought this guy was a stranger, who knew nothing about their professor and what happened to him, because the way he asked them what they were talking about sounded as if he did not know. So, they told him everything about what happened to their professor – unbeknownst that they were talking to the risen professor.

Then, the risen professor told them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Wasn’t it necessary that your professor should suffer these things and enter into his glory?!”(Luke 24:25-26)

Men! Who is this guy? I bet these two disciples thought of the guy who joined them in conversation and journey.

So, the risen professor, whom they still did not really recognize, took the upper hand from this point on and gave then a crush review course on the Scriptures, what he had taught as the Good News. Though these two students did not recognize that one who was teaching the Scriptures was the risen professor Jesus, their hearts frozen with grief were being warmed enough. Then, when he broke the bread for dinner, later in Emmaus, their hearts were on burning fire, as they recognized that their professor had risen from the dead. Upon that moment, the risen professor disappeared but these two students ran back to the rest of the students to tell to their experience with the risen professor.

The risen professor Jesus appeared to their students repeatedly and continued with the post-resurrection prep course to his students for 40 days until his ascension, as described in the post-resurrection narratives of the canonical Gospels and Acts 1:1-9.

Professor Jesus was finally able to ascend to be seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, because his students had achieved the passing level to deserve receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost for their new endeavors as his apostles.

The day of Ascension is the day that the professor Jesus’ students successfully finished their final exams and defended their theses. And, the day of Pentecost is the day of their commencement. Their confirmed “degree” is the Holy Spirit. On this commencement day, Pentecost, they graduated from the discipleship and commenced their missions with the apostleship.

As Bl. Fulton Sheen has said, the first public word of Jesus is “Come!” and the last word is “Go!”. Professor Jesus invited a group of fishermen to enroll his course on becoming salvific apostles in Capernaum, by saying, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men!” (Matthew 4:19). And, when they successfully passed this course, he commanded them to “Go! Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age!” (Matthew 20:19-20).

On the night before his death, the professor Jesus promised the “degree” for them, upon their completion of the course, and it is the Holy Spirit, whom the professor explained as another Parakletos, who will be with them always as the Spirit of Truth (John 14:16), who will guide through his teaching (John 14:26), just as he had taught them. It was because in essence, this Holy Spirit, whom the professor called another Parakletos is essentially himself, as he is, indeed, the Parakletos (1 John 2:1).

The professor Jesus is the Parakoletos in human flesh, which came from his mother, Mary the Immaculate. Upon his resurrection, while he retains the flesh, the professor Jesus has become more spiritual. So, he became physically omnipresent because of his supernatural spiritual nature and was able to ascend into heaven, when he has no reason to worry about his students to be led by another professor, who is completely in spirit, upon their commencement.