2020/04/12 — Easter Sunday

The readings for Mass on Easter Sunday are the same every year, and I gave a synopsis of them in 2016. Perhaps you'd like to review that post. Now, I just want to consider a couple of points which struck me as I listened to them today.

In the first reading, Peter tells Cornelius and his household that after the resurrection Jesus was "visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead." None of Peter's hearers ask, "Why not to all?" but some people could, with the thought that appearing to all the people would be a stronger proof of the resurrection. But even that would not sway those who wouldn't believe. In the first place, who are "all the people?" Doubters could say it's just a double. They'd demand miracles, even though miracles hadn't persuaded everyone before Jesus' death. And once Jesus' Ascension took place, we'd basically be exactly where we are now. Faith is never a matter of compelled belief; it is a gift from God which one is open to accept.

The reading from Colossians, which is the one I heard today, reminds us to "seek what is above," and "think of what is above, not of what is on earth." Clearly, we can't simply ignore our earthly life and surroundings. so that can't be what it means. We have the physical necessities of life to which we must attend. We have our families and communities in which we are called to live lovingly as Jesus' followers. And now we have the coronavirus disrupting our lives in various ways, some small, some large, and in some cases tragic. I think St. Paul is telling us is that if we make this present life our focus, we'll rob ourselves of the hope which the resurrection of Jesus gives us: the promise of our own resurrection and everlasting joy.

So, like Peter and John in today's gospel, we may not completely understand every question that theologians ponder. But we can still believe that Jesus is risen from the dead, the Savior of the world.

2020/03/29 — 5th Sunday of Lent — Year A

First Reading — Ezekiel 37:12-14
Second Reading — Romans 8:8-11
Gospel — John 11:1-45

These readings are all about resurrection.

While the passage from Ezekiel used the image of the graves and resurrection as a metaphor for the restoration of Israel with a return from exile, in the context of the other readings, we are led to understand it also as promising actual bodily resurrection to God's people, with the land of Israel symbolizing eternal existence in the presence of God,

The reading from Romans is largely an exhortation to the hearers to live in the spirit, rather than in the flesh. It concludes with the promise that if the Holy Spirit dwells in us, our bodies will be raised like Jesus'.

With these promises of resurrection fresh in our minds, we come to the raising of Lazarus. There is a twofold significance here. At the literal level, it is a miracle. Jesus uses his power — obviously divine — to restore a dead man to life.

Martha and Mary complain in turn that if Jesus had come before Lazarus died, he could have restored Lazarus to health. But Jesus does not always intervene in the normal course of events with a miracle. Every time something bad happens, we can ask why, but there is usually no direct answer. We do know, as this gospel passage reminds us, that God always loves us, even when bad things are happening, even when tragedy surrounds us. Jesus is deeply saddened by the death of Lazarus. God's promise to us is not earthly happiness, but eternal joy in his presence.

In this instance, Jesus responds to the situation by raising Lazarus from death, restoring him to life. This leads many, beyond Martha and Mary, to place their faith in him. The raising of Lazarus tells us, obviously, that Jesus has the power to raise us also, and thus gives us confidence in the promise contained in the first two readings. But our faith also tells us that the promised resurrection goes beyond the restoration of earthly life. It is a promise of a glorified life like that of Jesus after his resurrection.

As I've noted, Lent is the time of preparation for baptism. Especially in Year A, the readings instruct the catechumens about the meaning of their anticipated baptism. Last week, it was the end of spiritual blindness that was the focus. This week, it is being raised from a state of spiritual death to spiritual life. The Holy Spirit gives us the life of grace, a share in God's own eternal life. We are freed from our bondage to sin and walk in the freedom of God's children. As the catechumens look forward to this effect of the sacrament, we reflect on our own spiritual life, begun in baptism and containing a promise for eternity.

2018/03/04 — 3rd Sunday of Lent — Year B

First Reading — Exodus 20:1-17
Second Reading — 1 Corinthians 1:22-25
Gospel — John 2:13-25

St. Paul tells us that Jesus is "the power of God and the wisdom of God." His death and resurrection show God's power at work in him. He is the authorized spokesman who has a right to specify proper reverence for God's temple. Wisdom (reason, philosophy) seeks to understand the truth of existence: a worthy pursuit. In this, it has the immense advantage of the truth presented by the revelation of God in Jesus and in scripture, that God loves his people and offers us eternal life where all evil is overcome.

The ten commandments set out minimum standards of living in right relationship with God and with one another as members of his people. The two greatest commandments — love God with all your being; love your neighbor as yourself — provide the basis and context for the ten, as well as for all the developments elsewhere in the Torah, the prophets, and the teachings of Jesus.

Do we regard God's law as a burden or do we see it as the Jews regard Torah, a great gift, as expressed in the responsorial psalm (Ps. 19:8-11)? There we say, "The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. … They are more precious than gold …; sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb."

The scriptures of this day point us toward Easter and invite us to renew our faith in Jesus as the one sent by God to save us and bring us into holiness and eternal life through his teachings and above all through his death and resurrection which are not only salvific in themselves but also the proof of his Messiahship.

Easter Vigil — 2017/04/15

The Easter Vigil is the central liturgy of the Church's year. It is a Mass, with the regular elements of liturgy of the Word, which is what I concentrate in in my posts for Sundays and major feast days, and liturgy of the Eucharist — with presentation of the people's gifts of bread and wine, and themselves; consecration of the bread and wine, making them the Body and Blood of Jesus; and Holy Communion. But at the Easter Vigil, some secondary parts are expanded into major rites, and the readings are more extensive.


Mass usually begins with a procession and introductory rite leading into the liturgy of the Word. At the Easter Vigil this rite is vastly expanded. First, a fire is lit; a large candle, adorned with various symbols of Christ, is lit from the fire; and the candle is carried in procession to a tall stand in the sanctuary. Meanwhile, the people's candles are lit with candles lit from the Easter candle. The Easter candle represents the risen Christ, and its flame the light he gives to the world. When the clergy and ministers have arrived in the sanctuary, an ancient chant, called "Exsultet" ("Rejoice") from its opening word in Latin, proclaims the praise of the candle as representing Jesus' work of our salvation.


Normally, the liturgy of the Word consists of three readings, with a responsorial psalm after the first and an acclamation before the gospel. At the Vigil, there are seven Old Testament readings before the (non-gospel) New Testament reading, acclamation, and gospel. Not all seven O.T. readings are required to be read, but Exodus 14:15-15:1, which tells of the Israelites' crossing of the Red Sea, is required. Not only does, it remind us of Passover, with the sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb (a type of Christ), which immediately preceded the Exodus, but it also foreshadows baptism, which liberates us from slavery to sin by our passage through the water.

The first reading is the account of creation in Genesis 1:1-2-2. God creates the universe and it is very good. In Jesus, God recreates humanity, making it very, very good, and ultimately he will recreate the universe — a new heavens and new earth promised in Revelation.

Second is Genesis 22:1-18, the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham. At the end, God stops Abraham from killing his son, but God did not spare his own son in order to reconcile humanity to himself.

Third is the reading from Exodus.

Next is Isaiah 54:5-13, in which God presents himself as the redeemer of Israel, promising reconciliation, "enduring love," glory, and peace. We see Jesus as the one who brings these about, beginning in time, and fulfilled in eternity.

The fifth reading is also from Isaiah — 55:1-11. There is a promise of abundance. Gentiles will come to the Lord. God is forgiving, and his word — Jesus, in our understanding — sent to the earth, will accomplish his mission.

The sixth reading is Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4. God, the creator of the stars that rejoice before him, calls Israel back to his wisdom, his peace, which we understand are in Jesus.

Seventh is Ezekiel 35:16-17a, 16-28. Our sinfulness has caused our exile among the nations. For the sake of his own glory God will bring us back to the promised land. He will cleanse us of our sins by sprinkling clean water (baptism) on us and putting his spirit in us, enabling us to live according to his will.

In an ordinary Mass, the first reading is followed by a psalm, and then the second reading. In the Vigil, each of these readings has its psalm, but then there is a prayer recited by the priest before the next reading. It alludes to the preceding reading, asking God to deal kindly with us as indicated by the reading.


When the Old Testament readings, with their psalms and prayers are completed, the hymn "Glory to God in the Highest" is sung. This usually concludes the entrance rite, before the liturgy of the Word, so we might expect it to be placed before the first reading, rather than in the middle of the liturgy of the word. I suspect the reason for its current placement is that when Pope Pius XII revised the Vigil into its current form, Sunday Mass had only two readings, epistle and gospel. The Gloria came immediately before the first of the two readings, so the idea was that epistle and gospel were a separate unit and the Gloria should precede them. The Old Testament readings were probably seen as separate, not part of a continuum with the final two readings. At any rate the Gloria is sung, and then the prayer which would normally follow it to conclude the opening rite is said.


The epistle — Romans 6:3-11 — tells us that our baptism is a baptism into the death of Jesus, bringing us newness of life in union with his resurrection. Our baptism is thus also a death to sin.

The gospel this year, Year A, is Matthew's account of the resurrection — Matthew 28:1-10. As the women approach Jesus' tomb on that first Easter morning, there is an earthquake and an angel rolls the stone from to stone covering the entrance to the tomb. The angel tells the women that Jesus has risen. They are to tell the disciples to go to Galilee to meet Jesus. On their way, the women see Jesus, who gives them the same message for the disciples.

It was only this time hearing that gospel that I realized that Matthew implies that Jesus had already risen before the angel rolled back the stone. Possibly the earthquake was the moment he rose and left the tomb, or possible it had happened earlier, but in any case, Jesus (unlike Lazarus) doesn't have to wait for the stone to be removed before he can leave the tomb. Just as he can enter the upper room through locked doors, in his glorified body, he leaves the tomb while it is still sealed.

Another point that occurs to me is that the reason for the angel's message is that it prepares the women for encountering Jesus himself. Without that preparation, they would have been overwhelmed by meeting the resurrected Jesus, but ow they could accept it.


It may be expected that the liturgy would focus on Jesus' death and resurrection. The heavy additional emphasis on baptism in this liturgy is because in ancient times, the Easter Vigil was the occasion on which people were baptized. This leads to the next difference from normal Sunday Masses. In place of the recitation of the Nicene Creed, which normally follows the gospel, there is a blessing of water for baptisms (or for sprinkling the people if there are no baptisms). Adults are then baptized, and then the people renew their baptismal renunciation of sin and profession of faith, following which they are sprinkled with the water, in  commemoration and renewal of their own baptism.

After this, the Mass continues as usual.

2016/06/05 — 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time — Year C

Ordinary Time has returned. The 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time came just before Lent, and Eastertide followed Lent. Eastertide ended on Pentecost, May 15; and on May 16 we were in the 7th week of Ordinary Time. We determine which week it is by counting back from Advent: the 34th week is always the week preceding the 1st Sunday of Advent (which is the fourth Sunday before Christmas). Rarely, if at all, is there room for all 34 possible weeks of Ordinary Time before Lent and after Pentecost. This year, it was the sixth week that got crowded out.

But even though we've been in Ordinary Time since May 16, we didn't have the Masses of Ordinary Time on the 8th and 9th Sundays because we celebrated Trinity Sunday and Corpus Christi on those days. Now we're back to the wearing of the green vestments on Sundays.


Today's readings provide two accounts of the raising of widows' only sons and Paul's account of how he acquired knowledge of the gospel.

The first reading — 1 Kings 17:17-24 — tells of the prophet Elijah. There is a famine in Israel, and he has gone to the pagan territory of Sidon, where he is living in the home of a widow and her son. The preceding verses tell how her supply of four and oil are being miraculously kept from running out by the prophet, a miracle which prefigures the multiplication of loaves and fishes by the Lord. Now there is a second miracle in favor of the pagan woman. Elijah's prayer brings about the raising of her dead son. This miracle elicits a profession of faith from the woman.

This reading continues a theme from the readings assigned to the ninth Sunday in Ordinary time, namely the inclusion of Gentiles within God's embrace. In 1 Kings 8:41-43 Solomon prays at the dedication of the temple that the Lord hear the prayers who come to pray there, so that all peoples will know God's name. And in the gospel for that day, the Roman centurion professes his faith in Jesus. So bath last Sunday and this there is a message that God's love and saving action are not limited to Israel. Similarly, we should realize that God's love and saving action are not limited to the members of his Church.


The responsorial psalm — verses of Ps 30 with a refrain based on v. 2 — has us praise God for rescuing us, for changing our sorrow to joy (as he did for the widow of Zarephath and for the widow of Nain in today's gospel).


The second reading — Galatians 1:11-19 — contains what seems like an astounding claim: that Paul received the gospel, not from humans, such as the apostles, but by direct revelation. Clearly, he knew something of the beliefs of Christians when he was persecuting them, but the Jewish Christians did not clearly understand at that time that Gentiles could be saved by faith in Jesus without being circumcised or following all the prescriptions of the law. This point, which is the central theme of  this epistle, is what must have been directly revealed to him during his sojourn in Arabia. Subsequent verses make it clear that the apostles ratified his teaching as correct. God used Paul to reveal the implication for the Gentiles of Jesus' being the savior, yet, by going to Jerusalem and meeting with Peter (Cephas) Paul acknowledged the authority of the Church in matters of doctrine. Today the same holds true: theologians may have insights into the meaning of revelation, but the teaching authority of the Church judges the validity of those insights; similarly the Holy Spirit speaks to all of us, but if what we hear is contrary to what the Church teaches, it did not truly come from the Holy Spirit.


In the gospel — Luke 7:11-17 — we meet another widow whose son has died. Jesus restores him to life. Unlike Elijah, Jesus does not engage in fervent vocal prayer or perform an elaborate ritual. He just speaks a word of command. Unlike Elijah, he has the power of God within himself. As the widow of Zarepath recognized Elijah as a prophet, the people of Nain recognize Jess as a prophet, but they go beyond that to say the God has visited his people. Jesus is God-with-us.

These two raisings show God's power over life and death, but they are not the same thing as Jesus' resurrection and the one we are promised. The two sons in today's readings had their ordinary, mortal life restored. Jesus rose with a glorified body to an immortal life, and that is what he promises us at the end of time. Now, it is his Body and Blood which sustain the immortal life already invisibly in us.

2016/04/10 — 3rd Sunday of Easter — Year C

This Sunday's readings continue the pattern from last Sunday: first reading from Acts, second from Revelation, and Gospel from John. This will also be followed in the remaining Sundays of Easter, except where the Ascension is transferred to the Seventh Sunday. It seems to me that the readings of a  particular Sunday were not selected to develop a particular theme. Each stands on its own, although it may be possible to see some resonances between some of them.



The first reading — Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41 — brings us some of the account of the second appearance of the apostles before the Sanhedrin. Peter and John had healed a cripple and proclaimed that Jesus was the Lord through whose power it was done. The Sanhedrin had ordered them to stop preaching in the name of Jesus. When they persisted, they were brought in again, and today's reading gives the account of this second appearance, leaving out the speech of Gamaliel, who warned the Sanhedrin that if the apostles' preaching was from God, they would be opposing God if they opposed the apostles. It also  omits a line that says the Sanhedrin had the apostles flogged before releasing them, which lets us know what the line about suffering dishonor for the sake of the name means. Peter's speech is a synopsis of the more extensive proclamations reported elsewhere in Acts.

It is because the apostles have seen the risen Lord (one instance being given in today's gospel) that they can stand firm in the face of the Sanhedrin's orders, threats, and punishment. We, too, must be prepared to stand firm when our faith is challenged.


In the responsorial psalm — verses from Ps. 30 — we have a prayer that reflects the apostles' thanksgiving after their release.



The second reading — Revelation 5:11-14 — gives us a view , in language and images that may be figurative rather than literal, of what is happening in heaven. Jesus is the Lamb, prefigured by the Israelites' Paschal lamb, who is slain but who saves us from death not only by giving his flesh and blood, but also by rising from the dead, thus conquering death. The whole universe recognizes his glory. Chapter 4 of Revelation presented a scene in which 24 elders worshipped God who was seated on his throne surrounded by four living creatures — one like a lion, one like an ox, one with a human face, and one like an eagle in flight. The appearance of the living creatures recalls Ezekiel's vision of four living creatures, each of which had all four faces (Ezekiel 1:1-28). In chapter 10, Ezekiel again has a vision in which he realizes that they are cherubim. Beginning with St. Irenaeus in the second century, it has been common to see the four living creatures of Revelation as representing the four evangelists: the lion, Mark; the ox, Luke; the human, Matthew; and the eagle, John. Scholars think that in context they are intended to be angels that govern the physical world, while the elders represent the Church. In this reading, then, their worship symbolizes that of humanity and all creatures of the universe, now directed to Jesus, and joined to that of the angels.

In the first Eucharistic prayer, there is a sentence which asks that our offering (the consecrated elements, the Body and Blood of Christ) may   be carried to God's altar in heaven so that all who participate in the reception of Communion from this altar on earth may be filled with heavenly grace and blessing. Our worship is a sharing of the worship of God in heaven: one meaning of the "communion of saints" referred to in the creed.



The gospel — John 21:1-19 — presents three parts of a post-resurrection appearance of Jesus: a miraculous catch of fish, a meal of fish and bread, and a dialogue of Jesus and Peter.

The catch of fish recalls the catch of fish which took place at the call of Peter, Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee (James and John) in Luke 5:1-11. In both, the fishermen have caught nothing all night, but Jesus tells them where to lower the net, resulting in a catch so large that they cannot haul the net into the boat. In Luke, Peter confesses his sinfulness. In John, the beloved disciple recognizes that the man on shore is the Lord.

In John 6: 1-14, Jesus feeds a large crowd with five barley loaves and two fish, which leads to their recognition of him as one promised by God in Deuteronomy 18:15 (see also Malachi 3:1&23). That previous miracle occasioned the Bread of Life discourse in which Jesus identified himself as the bread of life, whose flesh and blood he would give for the life of the world — whoever consumed them would possess eternal life. At the Last Supper and on Calvary, Jesus fulfilled his promise, and after his resurrection, the disciples in Emmaus recognized him in the breaking of the bread — Luke 24:35. Thus the miraculous meal of fish and bread symbolizes the flesh and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist.

In the scene of the call of Matthew, Matthew acknowledged that he was a sinner. He is again a sinner, having denied Jesus three times. Now Jesus undoes that denial by requiring a threefold declaration of love. But it doesn't only mean that Peter's denial of Jesus is forgiven. Peter's leadership of the post-resurrection community of Jesus' followers is affirmed three times as well. Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18) who has laid down his life for his sheep and taken it up again. Now Peter becomes the shepherd.

Finally, Jesus tells Peter what he can expect. Just as Jesus was bound and executed, so, in his turn, will Peter suffer a similar end (with, of course, the promise of eternal life given in John 6).


So Jesus in effect constitutes his Church around the sacred meal of his body and blood with Peter as the shepherd. The success of the disciples as "fishers of men" depends on Jesus.

2016/04/03 — 2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) — Year C

The Sunday after Easter has had various titles through the centuries. One ancient title, which was used in the Roman Missal was "Dominica in Albis," which means "Sunday in Whites." Scholars concluded that originally the title was "Dominica in Albis Deponendis," that is "Sunday of Laying aside White [Garments]." The neophytes, who had been baptized at the Easter Vigil, were given new, white garments to wear when they emerged from the baptismal pool. They would wear them for a week and, on this Sunday, resume wearing ordinary clothing.
Another title was "Quasimodo Sunday." This follows the custom of designating Mass texts by the opening word(s) of the introit. When the Mass was only used on a particular Sunday, the title was also given to the day. The introit for the Sunday after Easter began with a quote from 1 Peter 2:2, "Like newborn infants [newly born through baptism, that is], long for pure spiritual milk," in Latin "Quasi modo geniti infantes rationabile concupiscite lac." So the hunchback of Notre Dame was called Quasimodo because he was born on Quasimodo Sunday.
In English speaking countries, it was also called "Low Sunday," because after the peak Sunday of the year, it was, relatively speaking, low. As with "Dominica in Albis," it may also suggest the end of the Church's week long celebration of Easter and a return to usual activities.
More recently, with a view to the 50 day Eastertide of the liturgy, it has been known as the Second Sunday of Easter.

Now the subtitle "Divine Mercy Sunday" has been added. This comes from popular devotion based on the writings of a Polish nun of the first half of the 20th Century, St. Faustina Kowalska. She wrote of having visions of Jesus in which he presented himself as the exemplar of the mercy of God and urged people to invoke divine mercy in their prayers. She also reported that Jesus asked that this Sunday be designated "Divine Mercy Sunday." Pope St. John Paul II both wrote an encyclical about God's mercy titled "Dives in Misericordia," that is, "Rich in Mercy" — a phrase taken from Ephesians 2:4 — and designated the Sunday as requested by St. Faustina.


Pope Francis has followed up, in a way, by designating this year a jubilee year to be called the Year of Mercy. So there is considerable emphasis in the Church on God's mercy today. Nevertheless, the scriptures assigned to the day were put in place for the Second Sunday of Easter before its designation as Divine Mercy Sunday. So we begin with a reading from Acts about the time after Jesus' resurrection, then hear the first of a series of passages from Revelation, and conclude with an account from John about post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. Only the responsorial psalm explicitly mentions mercy.



The first reading — Acts 5:12-16 — tells of the respect in which the apostles, and especially Peter, were held in Jerusalem. Peter and Jon had cured a cripple at the temple gate by invoking the name of Jesus, and had been ordered by the chief priests not to preach about Jesus, but they persisted, and cures continued and faith in Jesus spread. In Matthew 25, Jesus speaks of six ways of showing love to others, including caring for the sick. These, along with have come to be called "corporal works of mercy." Then seven "spiritual works of mercy" were identified, one of which is "instructing the ignorant" and another "converting sinners." The apostles are engaged in these works of mercy, in which God's mercy reaches people through them.


The responsorial psalm — Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 with verse 1 as the refrain — proclaims that God's love (mercy, "misericordia," in the Latin of the liturgy) is everlasting, and the first strophe urges all to proclaim that everlasting mercy. The final strophe contains two verses which have become classic in the tradition of the Church going back to the New Testament. By his resurrection, Jesus, rejected by the chief priests, has become the cornerstone of God's people; and the Lord has made the day of his resurrection (and by extension every Sunday) a day of rejoicing.


In the second reading — Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19 — we hear of John's vision of the heavenly Jesus who once was dead but now lives forever.


The gospel — John 20:19-31 — tells of two appearances of Jesus after his resurrection. The first takes place on the evening of the first Easter Sunday, and the second a week later, which would be this Sunday. Thomas' absence on the first occasion, his doubting of what he was told, his subsequent presence and vision of the Lord, with his enthusiastic proclamation of Jesus as not only his Lord but also God, serve as an encouragement to hearers of the gospel to believe. Beyond that, it is an instance of God's mercy. When Thomas doubts, God does not condemn him or dismiss him from the company of the apostles. He mercifully calls Thomas to faith, just as he mercifully forgives Peter for his denials. So it is with us: God mercifully calls us to repentance and forgiveness — a forgiveness which the conferral of the Holy Spirit on the apostles enables the Church to extend on God's own authority.

Easter Sunday — 2016/03/27

Regrettably, I didn't have time to write a post about the Easter Vigil celebrated on Saturday evening. It is the central liturgy of the whole year. I hope I'll be able to write something in time for next year's vigil. But now, as the Sunday comes to a close, hear are some thoughts about the scriptures for the Mass for daytime Sunday.


The first reading — Acts 10:34a, 37-43 — is taken from a sermon by Peter in the house of a gentile centurion named Cornelius. Up to this point, Jesus' followers were all Jews. But now a series of visions had caused Cornelius to send for Peter and Peter to accept Cornelius' request that Peter visit him. Peter was speaking to a number of Cornelius' friends and relatives. He gives a synopsis of Jesus' ministry and then testifies to his death and resurrection and to his status as judge of the living and dead and to the forgiveness of sins which comes to believers through Jesus. Following this passage, we are told that the Holy Spirit fell on those listening to Peter, and ordered that they be baptized. This definitively marks the admission of uncircumcised gentiles into the Church.

The passage witnesses to us of the belief in the resurrection and Lordship of Jesus already present in the early days of the Church.


The responsorial psalm — Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23, with verse 24 as the refrain — contains verses used to support the idea that one rejected by the authorities could be the Messiah: "the stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone." This was read as a prophecy of Jesus' Lordship, and it must be God's doing. The resurrection is a powerful act by God, one which ultimately promises us life.  Our response is to recognize the day of the resurrection, and by extension, every Sunday — which is our holy day because it commemorates the resurrection of Jesus — as "the day the Lord has made," a day for rejoicing.



There are alternative second readings.
Colossians 3:1-4 refers to its hearers as having died and having been raised with Christ, which happens in baptism. This sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus has consequences: we should care more about the things of heaven, our ultimate destiny, that about those of this earthly existence.
1 Corinthians 5:6b-8 spells out the consequences more specifically. Using the metaphor of the Jewish Passover rule of removing all yeast from the house in advance of the holy days (so that they would eat only unleavened bread), Paul calls on his hearers to remove malice and wickedness from their lives, which are now a perpetual Passover marked by sincerity and truth, with Christ as the paschal lamb.



In Jesus' time, belief in a resurrection at the end of time was common among Jews other than the Sadducees, but it was not easy for Jesus' disciples to grasp the concept of a resurrection happening before then. That is why the final verse of the gospel — John 20:1-9 — tells us that "they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead." We see a similar incomprehension in the other gospels when Jesus predicts his passion and resurrection. This is the beginning of John's account of Jesus' appearances after his resurrection. At first, Mary Magdalen seems to suspect that the empty tomb was the work of grave robbers, but John comes to believe that Jesus was raised. The appearances of Jesus will make it clear to them all.



Jesus, our Paschal Lamb is risen and shares his life with us.


Our celebration of the Lord's resurrection will continue through the fifty days of the Easter Season to Pentecost. as we hear the gospel accounts of his appearances after his resurrection and consider the meaning of our participation in his life.

2015/11/15 — 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

 We are approaching the end of the Church's year and the beginning of the next one on the first Sunday of Advent: November 29 this year. Next Sunday's gospel is taken from the Gospel of John, so today we get the final passage from the Year B Gospel, Mark, and on the 29th we will hear a passage from the Year C Gospel, Luke. Interestingly, the two readings are parallel passages, quoting Jesus' words about the end times. Today we have arrived at the threshold of the account of  Jesus' passion, which will be the focus of the last days of Lent, so at this point, our readings for Ordinary Time are completed. When Advent begins, we are invited to consider that there are three comings of Jesus: his Incarnation coming to fruition in his birth at Christmas, his coming to believers by grace in scripture and the sacraments, and his return in glory at the end of time. So Advent begins with a look at the end times.



Today's first reading — Daniel 12:1-3 — was written at the time the Jewish people were being persecuted by the successors of Alexander the Great, and it encourages them to stand firm in their adherence to God. It tells of the end times, which will be the end of the persecutions. The archangel Michael will protect them. God has a book with the names of those who are loyal to him, and they will be saved. Then we come to what is most important for us: a promise of resurrection. While it is not clear that there will be a universal resurrection, there will be a resurrection, and the condition of those who are resurrected will depend on their conduct, with great glory, especially for the wise and those who lead others to righteous lives.



We reflect on God's promise of life in verses from Psalm 15 (1, 5, 8-11).



The second reading — Hebrews 10:11-14, 18 — continues telling us about Jesus, our high priest. While other priests live in time and offer sacrifices repeatedly, Jesus' priesthood differs from theirs in two ways. His sacrifice actually takes away sins, and he is eternal, forever at God the Father's right hand, not limited by time. Therefore his sacrifice has eternal value, and only needs to be offered once — although that offering is, like the priest, eternal.



The gospel reading is Mark 13:24-32. Jesus has been speaking of a time of tribulation which includes elements of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. But the frame now expands to a cosmic scale, with the elements of the universe destroyed. God's people will all be gathered to him — implying the resurrection we heard of from Daniel. Jesus' words are eternal because, as Hebrews tells us he is eternal.



While we don't like to think about the end of the world as we know it — God created it and saw that it is very good — the message today is one of encouragement. We know that there are troubles: natural disasters, diseases, persecutions, all sorts of wrongdoing, deaths of loved ones and eventually our own. But God reassures us that these evils are not forever. Jesus will return; he will set things right; he will give us eternal life with himself. So today's scriptures give us hope.


There was a time when images of the end of the world were used, like images of hell, to frighten people into good behavior, but that was not the concept of those who wrote the scriptures. Their hearers didn't need to be frightened by threats of potential future sufferings, they needed the reassurance that the evils they were already suffering were not the last word. God gave that reassurance to them, and today he gives that reassurance to us in the sacrifice of Calvary and the resurrection of Jesus as the promise of our own resurrection.

2015/04/26 — 4th Sunday of Easter

This Sunday is often called Good Shepherd Sunday. The Church has a three year cycle of assigned readings for each Sunday; and on the Fourth Sunday of Eater, the Gospel passage is draw from the words of Jesus in the tenth chapter of the Gospel of John. This year we hear John 10:11-18, in which Jesus calls himself the good shepherd who  "lays down his life for his sheep"— unlike the hireling who runs away when he sees a wolf. In this way, the good shepherd accomplishes two things. He keeps the wolf from catching the sheep and from scattering the flock. Of course, we see Jesus fulfilling this description of himself when he lays down his life on the cross.

Jesus notes that he has other sheep that he must join to his flock so that there will be one flock and one shepherd. This he accomplishes through the missionary activity of the Church. The mention of one flock and one shepherd recurs in a more extended form in Jesus' prayer at the Last Supper (John 17:20-23), where Jesus prays for his disciples and those who will believe through their word, that all may be one.

Today's passage concludes with Jesus saying that he lays down his life freely, and that he has power to lay down his life and to take it up again. So we have a reference not only to his death on the cross but also to his resurrection. As risen Lord, he is still the shepherd of the flock. We are al called to listen to his voice and to seek the unity which is his will for those who follow him.


The first reading (Acts of the Apostles 4:8-12) recounts words of Peter to the Sanhedrin. Peter had cured a crippled man who used to beg at the gate of the Temple, and when an amazed crowd had gathered, Peter had proclaimed the resurrection and lordship of Jesus, supporting his proclamation with references to the Hebrew scriptures. (As we heard last week that Jesus had explained the scriptures to his disciples, now we see them presenting those explanations to those they are evangelizing.) The Sadducees had Peter and John, who was with him, arrested for proclaiming the resurrection, and the next day Peter and John found themselves before the Council, and Jesus had previously been. Today's passage gives Peter's proclamation. He attributes the healing of the cripple to Jesus, proclaims the resurrection, quotes on of the scriptures which refer to Jesus (Psalm 118:22), and concludes by affirming that there is no salvation except through Jesus. Jesus is far more than a sublime teacher of moral life. He is the one who brings salvation — resurrection and everlasting life — to the human race. The first reading is followed, as always by psalm verses. This Sunday it's verses from Psalm 118, including the verse, "The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone," Jesus, the one source of salvation.


The second reading is again taken from the First Letter of John (1 John 3:1-2). This brief passage tells us that we are children of God. Beyond that, at the resurrection, we shall see God as he is, and that "beatific vision," as it has traditionally been called, will make us like him. There is a further Easter connection here, since Baptism is an Easter sacrament, and just as the Father proclaimed Jesus his son when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, so the Father adopts us as his children when we are baptized. Here the image of the Church is of family, not flock as in the Gospel. But whichever image we use, the reality is of a community of believers following Jesus to the Father.

In summary Jesus has freely and lovingly laid down his life and risen for us, the community of those he will lead to the Father.

2015/04/19 — 3rd Sunday of Easter

A couple of events this week have served to remind me that celebrating Easter not just as a day, but as a season, is not the practice of all Christians. Indeed, even many Catholics are not especially conscious of being in an ongoing season of celebration. At Christmas, if tradition-minded we may think of the twelve days of Christmas, and most of us do not remove our Christmas decorations on December 26. We know that there is some continuation of Christmas, some sort of Christmas season. But when it comes to Easter, we aren't accustomed to thinking of, not the twelve days, but the fifty days of Easter. And yet, Easter, the resurrection of Jesus, is — together with his death on the cross — the most important element of our Christian faith. Christmas is only there to make Easter possible.

The Catholic Church two reasons for prolonging the celebration through seven weeks. One is that the "mystery" of Easter, its meaning, is too big to express in just one day. We need to take take to consider it more deeply and extensively. Historically, the season developed as a time for ongoing instruction — called "mystagogy" of the newly-baptized (Baptism being something that was normally done only at Easter). Beyond that, it's just such a gigantic reason to celebrate that it's something we want to make that big a deal of. We need an extended period to do it justice. We spend forty days preparing for it. We should celebrate it even longer.

That's why we're speaking of Sundays of Easter in the title.


All three readings assigned to this day make reference to the forgiveness of sins, and that is one facet by which we can view the meaning and purpose of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. The gospel (Luke 24:35-48) and the first reading (Acts 3:13-15, 17-19) place this in the context of Jesus as fulfilling the scriptures.

The gospel passage is very rich in meaning. It begins with a reference to "[t]he two disciples." Those are the two whose encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus has just been recounted. (Luke 24: 13-35) When Jesus appears, the first thing he does after greeting them is to prove that it is he by showing his wounds, and then to prove that he is corporeal by eating a piece of fish. The Pharisees and many other Jews of Jesus' time believed in a general resurrection at the end of time, but a resurrection while the world continued was completely unexpected. So he had to appear to them and show that he had been resurrected bodily.

On the way to Emmaus, Jesus had "interpreted to [the two disciples] what referred to him in all the Scriptures." Now he tells the assembled disciples that "'everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.' Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures." What happened fulfilled the scriptures about him — that it was necessary for him to suffer, die, and rise, "and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations." Here we find an echo of last Sunday's themes of mercy and mission.

The first reading quotes Peter — who has just healed a cripple in the name of Jesus — reviewing the events of Jesus' passion and death. Then he proclaims the resurrection and says that what happened to Jesus fulfilled the scriptures and speaks, as the gospel does, of repentance and forgiveness.

Some of the scriptures which Jesus interpreted as referring to him are mentioned in Acts — e.g., "You  are my Son. Today I have begotten you." (Psalm 2:7) and "The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone." (Psalm 118:22). Throughout the year, these and many other Old Testament passages are seen as fulfilled in Jesus, following the longstanding tradition of interpretation.

From Peter's proclamation of repentance and forgiveness we move to the second reading, (1 John 2:1-5a). Christians aren't supposed to sin, John says, but if we do, Jesus brings forgiveness because he has expiated our sins.


The message for this Sunday, then, is that Jesus' death and resurrection, in fulfillment of the scriptures, bring expiation of our sins when we are repentant and turn to him for the forgiveness which is always available.

The gospel passage also gives  some insight into the significance of the Mass. We have traditionally seen the Liturgy of the Word — readings, creed, and homily — as continuing the work of presenting the scripture in the light of Jesus. We also see the Liturgy of the Eucharist as the breaking of the bread in which we recognize the Lord, as the disciples did at Emmaus. In other words, Jesus comes to us and says, "Do not be afraid, it is I." He explains the scriptures and gives himself to us as he did to the disciples at the Last Supper.

Easter 2015

Easter is the central celebration of the Christian year, because the central belief of Christianity is that Jesus died and rose from the dead. There is so much to this belief, and it is such a basis for celebration that we take three days to explicate it — from the evening of Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday (the Sacred Triduum). Through our baptism we participate in Jesus' saving death and are given a share in his resurrected life.


Holy Thursday  The triduum begins with a commemoration of the Last Supper. First, there is a reading from Exodus, telling of the Passover, with its sacrificial lamb and unleavened bread. (Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14) We see the lamb, whose blood protected the Israelites from the the destroying angel, as a prefiguring of Jesus; and the unleavened bread prefigures the bread of the Lord's Supper.

Next we hear St. Paul's account of the Last Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) in which Jesus declares that the bread he shares is his body, that is for them, and the wine is the new covenant in his blood. They are to repeat his action in remembrance of him — proclaiming his death until he returns.

The third reading is from the Gospel of John (John 13:1-15). This is the account of Jesus' washing the feet of the disciples, and commanding them to serve one another, following his example.

Christians' participation in the Body and Blood of the Lord must lead to loving service. I think Pope Francis is re-emphasing this point for us.


Good Friday  We continue with a consideration of the trials, suffering, and death of Jesus. As on Holy Thursday, our first reading is from the Hebrew Scriptures. This time it's from Isaiah (Isaiah 52:13 — 53:12). This is a passage about a servant of the Lord who is led like a lamb to the slaughter — bearing our guilt as he is tortured and killed — but who ultimately has life and takes away the sins of many. Next, the Epistle to the Hebrews (4;14-16; 5:7-9) speaks of Jesus' obedience the the Father as the thing that makes him the source of salvation for all who obey him as well as our eternal high priest. On Good Friday, the gospel reading is the Passion according to St. John, which shows a Jesus who willingly goes to his death on the cross to accomplish the purpose for which he came into the world. (The synoptic Gospel accounts of the passion are read on Palm Sunday year by year.)

Jesus' sufferings and death, willingly accepted, bring redemption from sin to the human race.


Easter Vigil  On the night before Easter Sunday, the Church keeps vigil. It was believed that Jesus would return when he rose from the dead, at dawn on Easter.

The service of the Easter Vigil is focused on Baptism. In ancient times, it was when people could be baptized (with a make-up at Pentecost for those who for some good reason couldn't be present at Easter). So the readings explore the meaning of baptism. Central is the passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea (Exodus 14:15 - 15:1), which is seen as an image of our rescue from sin through baptism. Other readings tell of the creation of the world — with baptism being understood as a new creation — and of God's promises of life to his people. Then a reading from Romans (6:3-11) tells us that our baptism joins us to Jesus' death, bringing also a participation in his risen life. Finally, we hear one of the synoptic gospels of the discovery of the empty tomb of Jesus and the announcement by the angels of his resurrection.

The baptized have the promise of personal resurrection and eternal life.


Easter Sunday  John's Gospel (John 20:1-9) tells of the finding of the empty tomb of Jesus, first by Mary Magdalene,  then by John and Peter. The first reading (Acts 10: 34a, 37-43) gives us a homily by St. Peter in which he testifies to the death and resurrection of Jesus and says that those who believe in him have forgiveness of sins. Then we either hear Colossians 3:1-4, telling us that we have died with Christ and share his life, or a passage from 1 Corinthians (5:6b-8) which brings us full circle to the unleavened bread of the Passover and the Paschal Lamb.

Jesus, our Paschal Lamb is risen and shares his life with us.


Our celebration of the Lord's resurrection will continue through the fifty days of the Easter Season to Pentecost. as we hear the gospel accounts of his appearances after his resurrection and consider the meaning of our participation in his life.

Theology of the Body 2014/12/11

At the end of the previous post in this series, John Paul II indicated that understanding the resurrection, which he had been discussing for a while, is important for understanding celibacy. The remainder of the series is devoted to the topic of celibacy. However, he seems to be thinking primarily of celibacy as part of a vocation in the Church to priesthood or membership in a religious order. He's not thinking of it as a moral requirement for homosexuals in view of the Church's teaching that same-sex sexual activity is wrong. So I may feel that I have to add remarks of my own along the way in order to draw out how this all applies to homosexuals who are not priests or members of religious orders.


"… To understand the celibate vocation, we must consider Christ's words about the resurrection: 'At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven" (Mt. 22:30).

"These words describe a state of life without marriage, where men and women find total fulfillment in communion with God and all the saints. Even without marriage, a person can experience the self-giving love that our bodies were created to give and receive. This way of life is not limited to heaven. It also echoes in the call to consecrated virginity, or celibacy for the kingdom, here on earth. Already, some anticipate what all will share in the resurrection.

" … It is significant that Jesus introduces the celibate vocation in the context of a discussion about marriage.

"In that exchange [with the Pharisees] Jesus says, 'I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another commits adultery.' … [H]is disciples [reply], 'If tis is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.'

"Jesus … doesn't say whether marriage or singleness is preferable. Instead, Jesus describes the call to celibacy:

Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it. (Mt 19:9-12)

"… Christ refuses to put celibacy at odds with marriage. The call to celibacy does not arise from a negative view of marriage. Christ has already established the fundamental value of marriage by pointing to 'the beginning.' Here he adds that there is also value connected with the free choice to forgo marriage 'for the sake of the kingdom.' This is not a command for all Christians, but a gift for those to whom it has been given.

"The celibate vocation, then, requires two things: a special gift from God, and the free acceptance elf that grace on our part. Those who accept that grace orient themselves in a particular way toward the future resurrection when men and women do not marry. Of course there is an essential difference between the absence of marriage in the resurrection and the celibate vocation here on earth. The absence of marriage in the resurrection is due to the fullness of communion that everyone will experience with God and the saints. Marriage on earth is the normal path for Christians to prepare for that communion to come. Celibacy for the kingdom, then, as an earthly vocation, is an exception to the norm."


What are we to make of this in the context of the Church's teaching that sexual activity between two people of the same sex is always wrong, which amounts to a de facto obligation of celibacy? Clearly, the Pope is not thinking about the situation of homosexuals when he speaks about celibacy as he does. He's thinking about priests and members of religious orders. Can we see celibacy as a comparable gift for homosexuals? I don't know if the Pope addresses it later in tis teaching, but I'll make a post with some thoughts of my own on the topic.

Theology of the Body 2014/11/28

Resurrection and the spiritualization of the body.

"Paul describes an interior transformation of man from 'earthly' to 'spiritual.' It is important to note that Paul takes no note of the Manichean division between soul and body. Rejecting the notion that the body is earthly and the soul is spiritual, Paul insist that both body and soul are capable of being spiritual.

"… In the future resurrection, we will inherit a spiritual body from Christ. The spiritualization will be the source of its power and immortality.

"This theme — the spiritualization of the body — originates in Genesis. Before the Fall, body and spirit were united in harmony. Sin caused a rupture …. But in the … resurrection, Paul says, this rupture will be healed.

"The resurrection, however, should not be understood as a return to the state of original innocence, apart from the knowledge of good and evil. Instead, the resurrection will constitute a new fullness of humanity that presupposes the whole frame of our creation and subsequent Fall.

"In our fallen condition, … the earthly body rules over the spiritual, lilting our ability to act in truth and love. We are attracted by evil and have to struggle against temptation.But in the resurrection, the Holy Spirit will entirely penetrate the body, and will redeem sensuality. … The senses will achieve perfect sensitivity and union with the human spirit. Spiritualization is perfected in the resurrection, but it is not limited to it. Even now, we are 'earthly' to the extent that we resist God; and we are 'spiritual' to the extent that we live by his Spirit. [Cf. Galatians 5:19-22.]

…

"The truth of the resurrection is of fundamental significance for the theology of the body. It is vital to our Christian understanding of both marriage and celibacy. In our further reflections, we will focus on the latter — celibacy for the kingdom of Heaven."

Theology of the Body 2014/11/02

Finally another post in my series on Theology of the Body. In a way today's is appropriate for November, since November is the month when the Church pays special attention to the saints in heaven and to all the dead. In this post, we continue to read what John Paul II said about the final condition of the elect: the resurrected body united with the soul, as presented in the book I've been quoting.

"According to Paul, the human body in the life to come will be imperishable, glorious, full of power, and spiritual. Paul's vision of the … body comes from his … experience of the risen … Christ. The resurrection … is a revelation of the ultimate destiny of man in all the fullness of his personhood.

"By contrasting the first man, Adam, with the 'second Adam' Jesus, Paul shows the two poles between which we find ourselves — between creation and the fullness of redemption. …We are children of Adam by nature, yet we are called to become children of [God] by grace. …

"The … man of the resurrection … is not the negation of the natural man …, but his fulfillment. The resurrection will complete and confirm the human person, as crested in the image one likeness of God. … The 'earthly man,' mired in sin, has the potential to share in Christ's perfect humanity.

"For all our failings, human  beings have retained an interior desire for glory. Through Christ, this aspiration can  be realized. …

"Previously, we spoke of the resurrection as the fulfillment of the nuptial meaning of the body in and through our perfect communion with God and the saints. Paul's discussion … seems to focus more on the individual person and the relation of body and soul.

"The resurrection … is a future event. But … its effects can be experienced in this life. Even now, we are called to bear the image of Christ, the risen one. Jesus' resurrection is already a reality, pushing the world toward its final transformation."

Theology of the Body 2014/08/31

I'm surprised that it has been more than three months since I've made a post on the Theology of the Body. Recent excerpts have dealt with the point that our resurrected bodies will transcend marriage (the supreme bodily expression of our call to a communion of persons), but there will still be a self-giving. And God will give himself to us completely.

"Jesus argued for the resurrection based on Old Testament Scriptures and the power of God, but his ultimate testimony was his own resurrection. …

"Because of his direct experience of the risen Christ, the resurrection became a centerpiece of Paul's teachings. The resurrection is the foundation of Christian belief, Paul argues. …

"In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul buildson Jesus' words in the Gospels, offering a profound meditation on the resurrection. … Paul agrees that the body, as we experience it, is weighed down by sin, but he uses this to argue for the resurrection:

But someone may ask, 'How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?' … The body that is sown is  perishable, it is raised imperishable: …it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. (1Cor. 15:[35; 42-44])

…

"Paul's synthesis is rooted in a total view of humanity, from creation to the fullness of redemption. According to Genesis, the creation of man is an enlivening of matter by spirit. Also according to Genesis, the body became subject to corruption and death because of the Fall. … Even so,  the body contains and reveals hope, like the hope of a woman in labor awaiting the promise of new life.

"Christ's resurrection confirms the promise of the redemption of the body. … [W]e can look forward to the day when 'the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God' (Rom. 8:21). …

"Redemption is the way to resurrection. The coming resurrection will complete our redemption in Christ."

 

Theology of the Body 2014/05/19

"The life of the resurrection will be an entirely new experience — different from Adam and Eve's before the Fall. But it will not be entirely disconnected from our earthly life — it will not be a disembodied or sexless (androgynous) existence. Instead, the resurrection will be the fulfillment of the promise we now carry within our bodies.

"When our bodies are glorified, they will become what God intended … from the beginning — visible signs of the person, means of communication between persons, and tangible expressions of love. The true meaning of the body … will be revealed anew.… in simplicity and splendor, and every person who partakes in the life of heaven will fully realize the nuptial meaning of the body, as they join in the great communion of saints.

"It is impossible for us to imagine exactly what this heavenly life will be like. But … we can begin to see its foundations — the resurrection of the body, eternal life, and the communion of saints.

Theology of the Body 2014/04/29

As the Christian world celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, we continue with St. John Paul II's reflections on our own resurrection, as condensed in the book I've been excerpting.

"In his dispute with the Pharisees over divorce (Mt. 19:3-9), Christ points back to the original meaning of our sexual embodiment. In his words on adultery in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5:27-28), he calls and empowers us, as sinful human beings, to embrace purity of heart. In his exchange with the Sadducees, he points forward to our ultimate destiny.

"… Christ's teaching … extends beyond this present life … backward and forward. We are not completely cut off from our beginning, the state of original innocence, or from our destination, eternal life. …[W]e can regain a measure of our original glory through Christ's redeeming power … [and] our baptism into Christ's death, makes us partakers of the 'new life' of the resurrection, to some extent, even in this life (Rom. 6:4-5).

"… Christ's teaching on the three dimensions of human existence — original, historical, and eschatological — comprise a total vision of man, a complete 'revelation of the body.'

"In the beginning God 'made them male and female' and said that 'the two will become one flesh.' The meaning of our complementary bodies, masculine and feminine, was revealed in marriage and procreation. But in the world to come, Jesus says there will be neither marriage nor procreation. While that there is no human marriage in heaven, Jesus does not say that people will lose their sexuality. He does not say that we will be androgynous in heaven.

"The fundamental meaning of the body — its nuptial significance — is that human beings are created to form a communion of persons. On earth, this meaning is expressed through marriage and procreation. But marriage is not an end in itself. The ultimate expression of the nuptial meaning of the body is the life of the resurrection, where there is perfect communion with God and every other person. By participating in the life of the divine communion of Persons — the Trinity —the human body will fully express the image and likeness of God."

Theology of the Body 2014/03/12

(In the last post we were told that the resurrected body is "spiritualized" — freed from the "law of sin and perfectly in harmony with the spirit. Now the pope takes a further step.)

"In Heaven, human beings will not only be spiritualized — they will be divinized. … They are filled completely with God's own life.

"In the world to come, the human will be fully permeated by the divine. Humanity will reach a fullness of life immeasurably beyond what could be experienced on earth… — humanity … intimately connected to the Trinity in a perfect communion of persons. This intimacy will not efface the personality of individual human beings. … [W]e will not be less ourselves, but more fully ourselves. We were created for the fully realized humanity that comes from perfect communion with God.

"When Christ says that those who participate in the resurrection 'neither marry nor are given in marriage,' … he reveals a new layer of meaning in the body.

"In our previous reflections we focused on 'the nuptial meaning of the body.' Our complementary bodies, male and female, allow spouses to give themselves fully to each other in marriage. But … we are ultimately made for God. Not just our souls, but our bodies, too, are destined for communion with him. …

"Could it be that the ultimate meaning of our sexual embodiment is found in our virgin union with God? … In the life to come, God will give himself to humanity in the most personal way. He will enable us to see him as he is, revealing the mystery that has been hidden in God from eternity. In this meeting, we will rediscover — in a new dimension — the same nuptial meaning of the body."

Theology of the Body 2014/01/27

My post four weeks ago was focused on the resurrection as the ultimate fulfillment of the gift of life from the living God, overcoming sin, and its consequence, death.

"In his response to the Sadducees, Jesus … went beyond what was written in the Old Testament, revealing a key element of the theology of the body: 'At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage' (Mt. 22:30).

"In the resurrection, when human beings regain their bodies in the fullness of 'the image and likeness of God' (gen. 1:26), marriage will cease to exist.  In the age to come, marriage and procreation lose their reason for being.
…
"In the resurrection … the soul will be reunited with the body. More than this, the body will participate in a completely new state of human life. … [cf. Romans 6:4-5 on the new life]

"Jesus' words, 'people will neither marry nor be given in marriage,' do not mean that our bodiesd will be androgynous in the kingdom of Heaven. But while our earthly bodies were designed for sexual union (Gen 2:24) and blessed with fertility (Gen. 1:28), masculinity and femininity take on a different meaning in the resurrection.

"… Jesus adds, 'They will be like the angels in heaven' (Mt. 22:30). This does not mean that human beings will become pure spirit — disembodies beings like the angels. If this were the case, it would be meaningless to speak of a resurrection at all. The resurrection means restoring life to the body, which was subjected to death i its earthly phase.

"Plato taught that, at death, the soul finds happiness by being released from the 'prison' of the body. But  … the body is not just a temporary container for the soul. (In this, Plato's student Aristotle was closer to the Christian view.) A human being is a unity of soul and body, and the resurrection restores life to both through a perfect integration of both.

"While the resurrection does not mean disembodiment, … it does involve a 'spiritualization' of the body. … The body will not be lost; it will be wholly unified with the spirit in a new way, even beyond what Adam and Eve experienced in the beginning."