n his farewell discourse, Jesus announced his imminent death, “I will go away, and I will come to you,” he said (John 14:28). Dying is a “going away.”
Even if the body of the deceased remains behind, he himself has gone away into the unknown, and we cannot follow him (see 13:36). Yet in Jesus’ case, there is something utterly new, which changes the world. In the case of our own death, the “going away” is definitive; there is no return. Jesus, on the other hand, says of his death: “I go away, and I will come to you.” It is by going away that he comes. His going ushers in a completely new and greater way of being present. By dying he enters into the love of the Father. His dying is an act of love. Love, however, is immortal. Therefore, his going away is transformed into a new coming, into a form of presence which reaches deeper and does not come to an end. During his earthly life, Jesus, like all of us, was tied to the external conditions of bodily existence: to a determined place and a determined time. Bodiliness places limits on our existence. We cannot be simultaneously in two different places. Our time is destined to come to an end. And between the “I” and the “you,” there is a wall of otherness. To be sure, through love we can somehow enter the other’s existence. Nevertheless, the insurmountable barrier of being different remains in place. Yet Jesus, who is now totally transformed through the act of love, is free from such barriers and limits. He is able not only to pass through closed doors in the outside world, as the gospels recount (see John 20:19). He can pass through the interior door separating the “I” from the “you,” the closed door between yesterday and today, between the past and the future. On the day of his solemn entry into Jerusalem, when some Greeks asked to see him, Jesus replied with the parable of the grain of wheat which has to pass through death in order to bear much fruit. In this way he foretold his own destiny: these words were not addressed simply to one or two Greeks in the space of a few minutes. Through his cross, through his going away, through his dying like the grain of wheat, he would truly arrive among the Greeks, in such a way that they could see him and touch him through faith. His going away is transformed into a coming, in the risen Lord’s universal manner of presence, yesterday, today and forever. He also comes today, and he embraces all times and all places. Now he can even surmount the wall of otherness that separates the “I” from the “you.” This happened with Paul, who describes the process of his conversion and his baptism in these words: “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Through the coming of the risen One, Paul obtained a new identity. His closed “I” was opened. Now he lives in communion with Jesus Christ, in the great “I” of believers who have become—as he puts it—“one in Christ” (3:28).
So, dear friends, it is clear that, through baptism, the mysterious words spoken by Jesus at the Last Supper become present for you once more. In baptism, the Lord enters your life through the door of your heart. We no longer stand alongside or in opposition to one another. He passes through all these doors. This is the reality of baptism: he, the risen One, comes; he comes to you and joins his life with yours, drawing you into the open fire of his love. You become one, one with him, and thus one among yourselves. . . . Believers—the baptized—are never truly cut off from one another. Continents, cultures, social structures, or even historical distances may separate us. . . . We experience that in our inmost depths we are anchored in the same identity, on the basis of which all our outward differences, however great they may be, become secondary. Believers are never totally cut off from one another. We are in communion because of our deepest identity: Christ within us.
Saint Francis of Paola, Hermit (Optional Memorial)
“Do you want to be well?” (John 5:6)
What kind of question is that? Of course this man wants to be healed! He’s been waiting thirty-eight years for a healing.
So why would Jesus ask him that question? Why wouldn’t he just go ahead and heal the man? Notice that instead of saying yes to Jesus’ inquiry, the man explains why he hasn’t been healed yet: he never gets to the pool quickly enough when the water is “stirred up” (John 5:7). Perhaps the man has grown accustomed to being unable to walk and has resigned himself to it. So Jesus wanted to get to the heart of the matter first.
The same may be true for us at times. Whether it is a sickness of mind, spirit, or body that afflicts us, we can grow accustomed to it. We don’t really expect things to ever change. In fact, we may even fear how we would live without it.
But what if the Lord suddenly asked you that question? What might you say?
Do you want to be well? “Lord, you know I want to be healed. But sometimes I doubt that you can help me. Take away my doubts, and give me faith in your healing power.”
Do you want to be well? “Lord, I’m afraid to ask you for healing because if I don’t get it, I’ll be disappointed. Sometimes I even wonder if you love me. Help me to put all things in your hands and leave the outcome to you.”
Do you want to be well? “Lord, I don’t know what becoming well will require of me. I may have to let go of a grudge so that I can receive the grace to forgive. I may have to do new things or encounter new situations that take me out of my comfort zone.”
Don’t let anything hold you back from asking the Lord to heal you. Whatever your wounds, tell him, “I want to be well.” Then imagine him saying, “Take up your mat, and walk” (John 5:8). You may not be healed instantaneously, but you may receive a much-needed increase in faith and trust in him—along with a clearer sense of how much he loves you. Let him make you well in his time and according to his wisdom.
For centuries it has been traditional for baptismal fonts to have eight sides. The first seven sides were meant to represent the seven days of creation. The eighth side, however, represented God’s ongoing, unending work of creation, both in the world and in each of his people. When a child is baptized, he or she is baptized into that eighth day—another new creation ready to inherit the kingdom of God!
Isn’t that wonderful? God is never finished creating! He is still making new things every day. He is also at work every day making everything that already exists “new” (Revelation 21:5).
Every day we see God creating in the world around us. Plants are pollinated and multiply; seeds mature into berries; volcanic lava creates new land formations. Every day the world shifts and changes a bit as God continues his active, creative work around us.
Now, just as God is still creating in the natural world, he is also still creating in the spiritual world. Every day he creates new openings for you to receive his love and to experience healing and grace in your relationships. Every day he opens new doors for you to share your faith. Although not as dramatic as volcanic lava, these too are manifestations of the “new creation” that God is forming in us and around us.
We’re just about halfway through Lent. Now is a good time to look back for signs of his creative work. Where do you feel a bit new? Then look forward to the creation yet to come. Where do you see new seeds about to blossom forth? Especially when it comes to matters of the heart, God is infinitely creative. He knows where you need renewal—in your prayer life, in your habits, and in your troubling relationships—and he is working to bring it about.
You may see yourself as a work in progress, but God sees you, as well as everything he creates, and calls it “good” (Genesis 1:31). As Isaiah promised, God has a wonderful future in store for you, one that will bring you joy and amazement (65:18). So welcome the ways that God is making you new right now, and have faith that he’s not finished yet!
“Father, help me to recognize your ongoing, creative work in me.”
Isn’t it ironic that this story, which is one of the best loved in all of Scripture, has a somewhat misleading title? Rather than calling it the parable of the prodigal son, we should call it the parable of the forgiving father. This is not a story only about one son. It’s a story about two sons and their father. And as a parable, this story tells us about our heavenly Father’s infinite love for us.
The parable of the prodigal son has two distinct goals: it shows us that God wants everyone to know his love, and it shows us that God wants those who know his love to experience it more deeply.
In a sense, the prodigal son was “dead” because of the sins he had committed when he was away from home. But the moment he came back, it’s as if he had come back to life. Jesus used this fellow to describe people who have not accepted the love that God has for them. They need to turn and come home to him. They need what we would call an “initial conversion.”
These are the people God asks us to lift up in prayer in a special way—especially our loved ones who are far from the Lord. May they all experience an initial conversion!
The prodigal son’s older brother, however, was already “alive.” He was faithful and hardworking. But he also needed a conversion. He may have been obedient to his father, but a lot of sinful thoughts still occupied his mind. This fellow needed “ongoing conversion,” a deeper turning away from his habits of resentment, anger, and self-righteousness.
Even if we believe in Jesus, pray every day, and go to Mass regularly, we still need ongoing conversion. We can be trying our best to live good lives and to care for our families. But we can fall into judgmental, self-righteous, self-centered ways of thinking. And so God asks us to keep turning to him for help and healing.
God welcomes home everyone who comes to him. No matter how big or small our sins, he is always waiting with open arms.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself. (Luke 18:11)
At first blush, the Pharisee’s prayer seems full of thanksgiving. But the more he speaks, the clearer it becomes that his field of vision is so full of himself that he never catches a glimpse of God. In the end, his self-absorbed attitude cuts him off from the very God he is addressing.
The tax collector gives us a helpful contrast to the Pharisee in the parable. He doesn’t dare to raise his eyes to heaven. Because he acknowledges his sin, he is able to connect with God’s mercy. His humility opens the way for him to experience forgiveness and go home justified.
These two characters show us a key element to prayer. Fruitful prayer involves moving away from ourselves and toward God. It involves listening to his words of mercy rather than offering him our words of self-congratulation.
We know how much of a struggle it can be to keep God at the center of our prayer. We might have pressing concerns that fight for our attention. We might be tired and find our minds wandering. Or we might find it hard to focus because we are excited about some good news—or bad news—we have just heard. God knows it’s a struggle. He knows the obstacles we face, and he is delighted with our efforts to turn our minds and hearts back to him.
Keep that in mind as you approach God in prayer today. Whether it’s your own personal prayer or prayer at the vigil Mass this evening, know that God waits eagerly, like a parent ready to scoop up his child the moment the child lifts her arms toward him.
Don’t be surprised when your attention wanders. If it helps you to gaze at a crucifix or pay extra close attention to a hymn, do it. No matter what you do, know that every time you turn to God with humility, he will respond. Every time you acknowledge your need, he will speak words of mercy to you and raise you up. He loves spending time with you!
“Jesus, thank you for your words of mercy, which pierce my heart. I lift my spirit to you.”
Have you ever thought about how closely connected things are in this world? A car runs well when the power train, the fuel system, the electrical system, and the cooling system are all functioning well. If any one of these systems stops working, the car won’t work—or it won’t work for long. Similarly, a computer can run only when the hard drive, the memory, the monitor, and the keyboard are connected and in good working order
It’s the same way in the spiritual life. Our spiritual health is dependent on many “systems” running well: our connection with Jesus, our attention to our inner life, and our efforts at loving one another as Jesus loves us. If we neglect any one of these areas, we will find ourselves being shaped more by this world than by the Holy Spirit. But if all three of these areas are in good working order, we’ll find ourselves becoming more like Jesus every day.
It’s a good idea, therefore, to look at these three aspects of our spiritual lives. We want to see how good spiritual health can be ours as we come into the Lord’s presence, allow the Holy Spirit to transform our inner lives, and try our best to love and serve the people around us.
Lessons from Peter. Let’s begin by looking at one of the great heroes of the New Testament: St. Peter. In many ways, this fisherman-turned-apostle is an excellent model. Like us, Peter had many good qualities when he first met Jesus. And like us, he had some qualities that needed to some improvement. But none of Peter’s bad qualities kept him permanently from the Lord. In fact, it was his recognition that he was a “sinful man” that moved him to follow Jesus in the first place (Luke 5:8).
When we look at Peter’s life from these three aspects—the heavenly, the inner, and the outward—we see a significant “before and after” picture. Over time, Peter came to love Jesus more. He came to see where his life needed to change. And he came to a deeper desire to share with other people the good news that he had discovered. So let’s look at Peter’s witness to see how he can help us in our journey.
Look Up and Live. The heavenly aspect has to do with our relationship with the Lord. It’s something that we can develop every time we go to Mass, every time we pray, and every time we seek God’s guidance. But it’s not only about what we do. God is always inviting us to come to him and drawing us to him. He is constantly pouring out his blessings and love upon us. He is always trying to open the eyes of our hearts and give us deeper insights into his love, his word, and his ways.
Peter was filled with many heavenly blessings. He knew that Jesus loved him. By God’s revelation, his eyes were opened, and he proclaimed Jesus as “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). He learned about the value of prayer. He was filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Through a vision in prayer, he was led to share the good news not only with his fellow Jews but with Gentiles as well (Acts 10). As a result of these blessings, Peter’s faith in Jesus grew deeper. His sensitivity to the leadings of the Holy Spirit developed. And his desire for more of God’s presence increased. Likewise, the more we seek the presence of Jesus, the more we will find him.
God’s Healing Touch. The interior aspect has to do with God making us holy by forming us into his image. There are two large obstacles that stand in the way of this transformation. These obstacles keep us from the kind of life we all want: a life that is peaceful, loving, and holy. One is the way that our wounded memories influence our thoughts and actions. The other is the way our own fallen nature, the temptations of the devil, and the pull of the world lead us into sin.
God knows how our experiences of rejection, resentment, and personal failure have wounded our memories. He knows these wounds affect the way we relate to others, and he wants to heal us. He wants to remove the pain they have caused and give us the grace to forgive the people who have hurt us. At the same time, he wants to forgive us of the ways we have hurt people through our own selfish acts. He wants to help us ask those we have hurt for forgiveness, and he wants to help us overcome these sinful ways.
Again, we can see how Peter grew in this interior aspect of his life. Peter was an impetuous man. He had an opinion about everything. He frequently trusted himself more than Jesus. But over time, Peter was healed of his pride. He learned how to choose God’s will over his own. He learned how to repent and how to forgive.
Think about what happened after Peter denied knowing Jesus on Holy Thursday. Scripture tells us that Peter “began to weep bitterly” when he realized what he had done (Matthew 26:75). Imagine how discouraged and hurt he must have felt. Surely he thought of himself as a coward and a failure. But when he and Jesus finally did talk, it became clear that Jesus had forgiven Peter. He still loved Peter, and he still wanted him to lead the Church (John 21:15-19). In this one encounter, we see Peter experience both the forgiveness and the inner healing that Jesus wants to do for all of us.
A “Harsh and Dreadful” Love. Finally, we will grow in the outward aspect of the spiritual life as we sense God moving us to love others as Jesus loves us—without conditions and without limits (John 13:34). Many movies, especially romantic comedies, tend to portray love as little more than a gauzy, sweet, romantic emotion. Everything looks so easy and natural. But we know that love is also hard work. Perhaps Fyodor Dostoyevsky put it best when he wrote, “Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared to love in dreams.”
Love can be “harsh and dreadful” when we come up against the call to give ourselves deeply to someone—especially someone we may find hard to love. It is also challenging when we face the call to forgive someone or ask for forgiveness. Love can be hard when we are called to move out of our comfort zones and be patient and understanding, generous and kind, honest and straightforward. But this is the kind of love that Jesus asks of us.
Fulfilling this call to love is impossible on our own strength. But when God moves in us, we begin to do things that once seemed impossible. Think about how Peter, an ordinary fisherman, dedicated himself to preaching the gospel and building up the Church. Think about the love that compelled him to risk his life time and time again in the name of the Lord. Think about how he ended up dying for the Lord and the Church he was called to lead. His witness tells us that God is able to take simple people, just like us, and transform them into committed, courageous servants.
“Give Them Some Food.” During his time on earth, Jesus gave his followers a number of opportunities to learn how to share the gospel and serve the people of God. When faced with a hungry crowd, he told them, “Give them some food” (Matthew 14:16). He sent out the Twelve and told them to proclaim, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (10:7). He even sent out seventy-two disciples and told them to heal the sick and announce the kingdom (Luke 10:9). Clearly, the disciples had a number of trial runs to help them grow in confidence!
But then Jesus ascended into heaven, and the trial runs came to an end. He sent the Spirit to fill all of his followers—and that includes each of us! Now it’s up to us, just as it was up to Peter and the rest.
So let’s pay attention to the heavenly aspect of our lives by praising and thanking Jesus and by asking him to fill us with his loving presence at Mass, in prayer, or in his word. Let’s care for the interior aspect so that we may have good and healthy and holy relationships with others—not hampered by our wounds or by our sinful tendencies. And let’s strengthen the outward aspect by trying our best to love the people God has given us. If we work with Jesus in these three ways, we’ll find ourselves doing things we would have never imagined possible!
Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God. (Hosea 14:2)
Few things are more painful than the betrayal of an unfaithful spouse. That’s why the Book of Hosea is especially moving for us: it portrays God’s relationship with Israel through Hosea’s heartbreaking marriage. Through Hosea’s stubborn love for his adulterous wife, God reveals his unchanging covenant love for unfaithful Israel. “Return to the Lord,” he pleads over and over again (Hosea 14:3).
Today, just as in Hosea’s time, God continues to plead with his people to come back to him. Since Lent is all about God’s call to come home, let’s listen for his voice in the words of Hosea.
You have collapsed through your guilt (Hosea 14:2). We all know how oppressive the burden of guilt can be. Even if we gloss over our offenses, unrepented sin can weigh us down like a heavy chain tangled around us. Sometimes we even carry guilt over sins we have already confessed. Still, our faithful God calls to us, Let me lift this weight that exhausts you and drags you down.
Take with you words (Hosea 14:3). God knows that the act of confessing our sins is the first step toward freedom. Naming them aloud is the best way to bring them into the light, where the Lord can free us. Isn’t this what happens in Confession? Our words of repentance have the power to unlock the chains that have dragged us down. It’s not always easy, though, to find the right words. But that doesn’t matter to the Lord. We can begin by saying, “Father, I have sinned” (Luke 15:21). Confess your sins, God implores. I am ready to forgive.
I will heal their defection (Hosea 14:5). This promise can give us the courage we need to return to God. Not only will he forgive us, but he will heal us of the urges and drives that cause us to sin. Every time we turn to him in Confession and encounter his love, our hearts melt a little bit more, and we find it a little bit easier to act out of love instead of selfishness. He cries out, Come and be healed!
Whether it has been a short while or many years since your last Confession, go. Go this weekend. Return to the Lord your God.
They . . . turned their backs, not their faces, to me. (Jeremiah 7:24)
We often hear the Christian life compared to a journey, and for good reason. When someone takes a journey, it’s because they want to get somewhere—just as we are journeying toward our ultimate destination of heaven. And as anyone on a journey knows, the best way to get to the destination is to keep moving forward. That’s what makes today’s first reading so poignant. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God laments that his people have been going backward and not forward. They have turned their backs to the Lord and started walking away from him and back into the darkness of sin.
Think about this image for a bit. What is sin if it’s not going backward, returning to the urges and desires that cut us off from God and one another? And what is the result of walking backward? We move away from our destination and lose sight of the heavenly life that is our inheritance in Christ.
At the same time, what is a life of faith if it’s not one of constantly moving forward with our eyes fixed on the goal? What is it if it’s not taking the bold step of trusting that God will support us, strengthen us, and fulfill us far more than sin could ever derail us?
When you are faced with temptation today, keep this image in your mind. Remember that the choice is always yours: whether to take a step backward, away from your goal, or to walk forward, out of the swirling drives and urges and into the arms of your heavenly Father. Commit yourself today to continuing on with your journey of trust and love, keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus and his heavenly throne.
Remember too that the journey forward is not one you take alone. You are surrounded by the saints and angels. You have the witness, prayer, and support of brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world. Best of all, Jesus himself is always with you “until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
As this week winds down, take a few moments to examine your journey. Ask if there are any obstacles that you can remove. Is there anything you can do to make your way forward smoother and quicker?
“Jesus, I want to walk toward you today. Help me to reach my goal of union with you.”
Hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live. (Deuteronomy 4:1)
The model for becoming physically healthy is more or less clear. Eat well—take in good nutrients, and avoid processed foods. And exercise—train your muscles and heart through regular activity. Of course, reality can be a little more complicated. And clear doesn’t always mean easy! But at least understanding the theory is a good start.
In today’s first reading, we see another sort of model. It’s a model for growing in spiritual health, built around reading the Scriptures. Here it is: “Hear . . . observe . . . live” (Deuteronomy 4:1). If we hear God’s word and observe God’s word, we will enjoy a richer spiritual life. Let’s take a closer look at each of these.
First, there’s hearing God’s word. There really isn’t a substitute for reading the Bible every day. Just as we aim to feed our bodies with solid, healthy food, the word of God is like a meal for our spirit.
It’s best to read prayerfully, too. Ask the Holy Spirit to take the nutrients of God’s word and build you up from the inside out. As you read, it may help to ask, “How is this passage revealing the Lord to me?”
Then there’s observing God’s word—that means obeying it. Ask yourself, “In the light of this passage, what could I change about my life?” Just pick one thing, and try to apply it. It could be something like forgiving someone who hurt you. Or saying one encouraging thing to your spouse each day. Perhaps for today, you might simply commit to reading the Bible for a few minutes every day. Little by little, you’ll be making changes; over time these will add up to become real transformation.
Finally, live—this is a promise of blessing. It doesn’t mean you won’t face adversity or even sorrow. But it does mean that tough circumstances won’t be able to stifle the growth of your inner life. And it means that as you make those little steps in patience, humility, and love, your relationships will become healthier, including your relationship with the Lord.
The Catechism explains that Mary, the all-holy and ever-virgin mother of God, is “the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time” (721). She was a “first” in God’s plan of salvation.
Because the Holy Spirit had prepared her, the Father found Mary a fitting dwelling place where his Son and his Spirit could dwell among human beings. The teaching of the Scripture and the church’s tradition about the abode of wisdom are now understood more fully in relation to Mary. Mary is acclaimed and represented in the liturgy as the Seat of Wisdom (721).
In his role as the Sanctifier, the one who makes people holy, the Holy Spirit was present to fully sanctify Mary at the moment of her own immaculate conception. What happens to Christians at baptism—being cleansed from sin by the living water of the Spirit and being filled with God’s new, abundant life—must have happened to Mary when she was conceived. How else would she have been sanctified as a spotless vessel prepared to bear and bring forth God himself into our world? How else but through the power of the Holy Spirit could Mary have persevered in absolute holiness and dedication to God from the moment of her conception, to her young adulthood (when Jesus was conceived in her), and to the end of her life on earth? Mary is the model of holiness through the work of the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, who gave her this unique grace of holiness, freeing her throughout her life from all stain of sin.
It is notable that in the Bible, Gabriel greeted Mary by saying, “Hail, full of grace . . .” before she had said yes to God’s plan and had been overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Mary must have been “full of grace,” and hence filled with the Holy Spirit, even before her “espousal” to the Holy Spirit to bring forth Jesus. You might say that Mary was baptized with the Holy Spirit at the moment of her conception. Then, at the moment she said yes to God, she became both the bride of the Holy Spirit and, through him, the mother of Jesus. Jesus began to dwell within Mary at the moment the Holy Spirit overshadowed her at the annunciation.
This is a selection from Your Life in the Holy Spirit: What Every Catholic Needs to Know and Experience by Dr. Alan Schreck (The Word Among Us, 1995). Available at wau.org/books.
