Get Behind Me, Satan!

Get Behind Me, Satan!

“And he began to teach them that the Son of Man was destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be put to death, and after three days to rise again; and he said all this quite openly. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him.  But, turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said to him, 'Get behind me, Satan!  Because the way you think is not God's way but man's.'” (Mark 8:31-3)

         Hearing this stinging rebuke by Jesus used to leave me feeling a little embarrassed for him; as if these words accidentally slipped out of his mouth in a moment of passion and could have been better framed if he had a second chance.  It seemed they were angry, cutting words –not in tune with the tender Heart of my Lord.  I felt bad for Peter; both, because his feelings were hurt; and, because he was reprimanded for reasonable and loving advice given discretely, away from the crowd.

         This all changed, one morning prayer, a few years ago, when the, till then unseen words in that passage, leapt off the page: “But, turning and seeing his disciples...”   As I tried to picture that exact moment, my imagination threw me back into time –into that dramatic scene, as if it were frozen with meaning.

Peter was crying.  His eyes were begging.  He was clasping Jesus’ left hand within his own hands -pressing it against his own heart.  His voice was desperate; his mind wheeling –he could not bear the thought of his Messiah and friend absent from his life; of Jesus leaving and taking all Hope with him.  The pain in Peter’s heart poured into the Breaking Heart of Jesus.

Jesus’ eyes too, began to fill with tears, causing him to break away from Peter’s eyes –for, if but an instant more, he too would have been weeping. Turning toward his disciples, he blinked hard -to clear his welling tears- but their faces remained blurred.  Like the blind man whom he had healed by putting spittle into his eyes, he now could only see distorted figures; lost sheep staring back, befuddled; his chosen companions whom he so cherished; and his Mother, whose heart the Sword of his Cross had now begun to pierce.

Jesus was like us in all ways but sin, he experienced our weakness… (Hebrews 4:15)  He did not want to die.  He was in love with his Creation and it needed him so.  There was so much left to do; so much more he could give; but the looming Cross was now casting its Shadow –a life so bright was now made Dark; and Peter’s plea was wrenching his gut.

If Jesus, like all humanity, possessed an Achilles heel, then surely he would have been most susceptible to spiritual attack through the Passion of his Heart -since his logic and Truth were impenetrable.  His Heart was bursting within him as he searched the faces of his bewildered flock so confused and afraid.  Their faces, to the one, were pleading, ‘You must not leave us!’  And now, in the Voice of his beloved Peter, Satan too, was entreating him to forsake the only thing that could save them –the Cross.  

Jesus’ battle with Satan during the Forty Days in the desert was but a preview of the Enemy’s guile.  Now, Satan was using the full weight of Jesus’ immense Love to weaken his resolve –a Supremely Evil attack upon Divine Vulnerability.

As Jesus’ Heart was battling his Mind, the Spirit echoed his Word yet proclaimed, ‘For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the Sovereignties and the Powers who originate the darkness in this world, the spiritual army of evil in the heavens...’ (Eph 6:12).  Driven by Holy Anger and riled with rage against the Dark Powers waging war upon the Children of his Father, Jesus unleashes his rebuke upon the Voice seducing him from the Cross…  'Get behind me, Satan!’  

         In this pivotal moment of Salvation History, Peter’s feelings are but a speck of dust on the scale against the weight of humanity’s Eternal Life.  Jesus, though subjected to Compassion’s Scream, remained submitted to Truth –that he came as the Lamb of God whose Blood would Redeem the world.

Why All This Talk Of Bread?

Why All This Talk Of Bread?

         Jesus and his band of brothers climbed into a small boat and embarked on a journey to the opposite shore.  They had just witnessed the second miraculous multiplication of loaves, as well as the willful unbelief of the Pharisees demanding a sign.  From the view of a gull circling above, it was an idyllic scene –of men united, crossing a sea, sharing a common purpose.  But from the Spirit, which discerns the hearts of man, it was something altogether different.

         Someone forgot to bring the bread, and the disciples, preoccupied with their grumbling stomachs, were arguing about who was to blame.  Jesus, lost in the realm of the Spirit, was processing the miraculous works of his Father and how the other side would lead him to the Cross, when he blurts out: 'Keep your eyes open; be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod' (Mark 8:15).  

         Lost in their own world, the disciples were clueless to the obscure Words of Jesus, thinking 'It is because we have no bread' (8:17).  Jesus replies, “'Why are you talking about having no bread?  Do you not yet understand?  Have you no perception?  Are your minds closed? Have you eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear?  Or do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?'  They answered, 'Twelve'.  ‘And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?' And they answered, 'Seven'.   Then he said to them, 'Are you still without perception?' (18-21).”

         To lack perception is to be unaware of what is happening around us, leaving us unable to see where we are heading –not unlike being lost at sea without a compass.  What we choose to remember, what we become preoccupied with, becomes the default heading in the compass of our life -leading us, for better or for worse, to that destiny.  In the case of the disciples, their arguing, blaming, and preoccupation with their personal needs was leading them away from Jesus’ plan; earning them a rebuke, for pettiness, in light of his Father’s Abundant Provision.

         In their preoccupation for bread, they were blind to the Bread of Life in their midst; to the Truth Who Saves; to their Safe Harbor; their Wellspring of Life.  Because of his Sacrificial Love, we possess the Bread of Life.  In this Gift, we have a Compass which will lead us in all ways to Truth –to the Father’s destiny for our lives.  It is this Eucharist Encounter which sustains us in our journey; and directs us toward our Destiny in Christ.

         In consuming his Divinity, he consumes our Sinfulness.  In possessing Him, he possesses us.  In offering him our Brokenness, he offers us his Healing.  We are delivered from the pettiness of our personal needs, and empowered to live a Life beyond what we can dream – a Life that our Father dreams for us; a Life freed from Self; surrendered to God; a Life of Eucharistic Union.

           For this, Jesus warns against the yeast of the Pharisees, which beguiles us into Self-Sufficiency, into acts of Dead Religiosity -in place of Acts of Love.  And for this, he warns against the yeast of Herod which seduces us to be our own god –free to define Truth, and Good, and Evil according to our pleasure.  Jesus is guarding us against that yeast which disguises the Suffering of the Cross.

         Only the Unleavened Bread of Life can sustain us into this Death-to-Self so willed by God.  Only the Bread of Life can draw us beyond our need and into the Surplus of God.  The Baskets of Surplus are the Father’s sign of his Provisional Love –lavished and without end.  In surrendering the little that we have, our neediness is transformed into Grace -to love; to embrace his Cross; even, to knowing Union with God.

         This is the perception that Jesus is asking of us.  This is the Truth he is offering us, free of the World’s Yeast which corrupts the offering of our Self.  Let us then, talk of this Bread.  Let us become preoccupied with this Bread.  May all our Hungers lead us to this Bread of Life, for it will point us always to the Father.

Light And Joy

Light And Joy

“He also said to them, 'Would you bring in a lamp to put it under a tub or under the bed?  Surely you will put it on the lamp-stand?” (Mark 4:2)

         On New Year’s Eve I was feeling more than a little cynical regarding any impending personal epiphany, and my many past resolutions, which had faded out as whimpers, left me in no mood to begin another.  But the Holy Spirit was not giving up on me so easily -even in the presence of my obstinacy.  That morning’s daily reflection suggested listening for a “Word from God” as a guide for the new year.  I had considered the idea, and was actually in the very act of dismissing it, when three Words abruptly overrode my thoughts: “Light and Joy”.  God’s Word had broken through my crusty heart.

         Chastened, like a crotchety old man by God’s unrelenting Mercy, I repented of my negativity, and received his Word as personally tailored to guide me through this year.   I did not experience this as an epiphany moment, yet I knew with certainty those simple Words were calling me toward one.  They had no profound meaning, yet I was sure they would.

         Every day they have been percolating into my consciousness, as if rain preparing the earth.  They were seeds of Hope yet expressed, but still, taking root.  Today, in reading Mark’s Gospel about the parable of the lamp, that personal Word broke through the soil of my soul.   That pregnant Word which had remained formless, now, by the Breath of the Spirit, is beginning to show Itself to me.  

         It began with my pondering of the ridiculousness of Jesus’ question –Why would anyone bring in a lamp just to hide it under something?  What if he posed this question because its ridiculous scenario is a real problem that needs to be confronted?  Surely I would not be so foolish?  Could he be illustrating such a self-defeating action in order to point to something amiss in my life?  What Truth is his silly question speaking?

         The parable of the lamp fundamentally addresses God’s purpose for our life; as well as the consequence of living inside of, or, outside of that purpose.  A lamp is created to emit light.  Its purpose is to bring light to what is hidden in darkness.  We too, are created as vessels of Light.  To live our life outside of this purpose is as foolish as placing a lamp under a basket.

         St. Matthew speaks to this point: “You are the light of the world.  A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden.”(5:14)  We have been created to be a Light to the world.  If we live our lives outside of our Divine Purpose, then Darkness remains around us.  If we live according to his purpose, then Darkness is expelled -for, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”(1John 1:5)   

         By itself, a lamp cannot produce light.  It merely holds the flame -burning the oil which was placed within it and ignited.  So too, we are not the source of the Light of Christ which we bear.  We are merely holders of the flame of God’s Love which lives within us.  And just as there is a vast difference between an ember and a roaring fire, so are there differences in the intensities of Light emanating from our lives.  The brightness of our Light is according to the Fire of Love in our heart for God.  And the Fire of Love in our heart correlates to the Faith, Hope and Love that is lived out in our life –to the degree we are living according to our Divine Purpose.

         The more alive we are in Faith, Hope and Love, the more Darkness is expelled around us.  And, it is a spiritual law that a life in Christ bears the fruit of Peace and Joy.  This is what my Personal Word “Light and Joy” is speaking to me: if there is Light in my life, there is Joy; if there is Joy in my life, there is Light.  The two cannot exist apart.  

          Joy then, is a dependable indicator of my spiritual health.  Not the giddy feel good joy of fickle happiness, but the deep joy of Peace, of knowing I am cupped in the Hand of God.  If I am lacking in Joy, I need only to increase the Light in my life –to renew the exercise of Faith, Hope and Love.  If I offer these to the world, then there will be the Light of Christ, and its Fruit will be Joy. 

Behold Your Child

Behold Your Child

“And when the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord- observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord” (LK 2:22+)

         Ever faithful to the Mosaic Law, Mary and Joseph bring their Precious Jesus to the temple, to be presented into the service of God, to be set apart, dedicated, freely given to do His bidding –thus, establishing the feet of The Only Son, onto the path to Calvary.  

         As soon as they enter, Simeon, a saintly old man seized by the Holy Spirit, joyfully snatches the Fated Child from Mary’s arms, and prophesies: “… 'You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected- and a sword will pierce your own soul too- so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare'.” (Luke 2:34)   St. Luke takes us, from the joyful beginning of the Good News, and thrusts us into the darkness of the Crucifixion, where the murderous thoughts of humanity are laid bare -through the Blood of Mary's Lamb.

         By custom, a Jew’s heritage is verified via the mother -as a child’s father could be uncertain.  And so Jesus, whose Father was hidden, hanging on that Cross…“Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her …said to his mother, 'Woman, this is your son. Then to the disciple he said, 'This is your mother'.” (John 19:26-7)  As his last wish, Jesus, wanting his Beloved Disciple to know his true identity, consecrates him to his Mother.  Pronouncing John ‘son of the Mother of God’ confirms him as Brother to the Savior of the world -son of the Father.  And Mary, with her soul pierced by the Sword of the Cross, was ever consecrated to mother His Beloved.

         Now, we all are His Beloved.  And Mary eternally retains her mantle as ‘Mother of His Beloved’.  So we too, can be sure of our heritage, for in looking upon his Beloved John, Jesus saw our needy faces, and pronounced His Mother as our own.

As we read then, Luke’s Presentation of Our Lord, let us pause …close our eyes …and see our Mother …with her heavenly mantle …lifting us up and saying…  “Holy Father, behold Your Child, whom I consecrate to do your bidding, to follow wherever the footsteps of my Son will lead –fill this son, this daughter, with the fullness of your Spirit, to be His Light unto the world.”

          Father, in the Name of your Son, Jesus our Lord and Brother, hear this perpetual prayer of His…of Our Mother. 

The Gift

The Gift

           I am a sucker for time travel movies. I pride myself as logical, yet, I find myself seduced by the implausible –hoping against hope.  They all have the same plot: the protagonist living in regret, lamenting a future made dismal by an event from the past, is given the chance for a do-over.  Of course, time travel stories are based on the premise that the impossible is possible, that the consequences of the past are undo-able.  And, since the past is changeable, there must then, exist alternate realities to add to the storyline’s intrigue.

         Not strangely, the Gospel Story speaks to this same universal dream –that there exists for us a chance for a do-over; to un-do the sins of our past; to change the course of our future.  And this is the Advent message of John the Baptist, that in our repentance we will find The Gift; The One Sent; The Savior; The One who uttered the Ancient Word, “I know the plans I have in mind for you - it is Yahweh who speaks - plans for peace, not disaster, reserving a future full of hope for you.” (JER 29:11).  Unlike the fantastical offered by time travel movies, the Gospel offers, in Truth, The Gift which holds out to us the chance to erase our past sins and to receive a New Life, with a future full of hope.

         Luke records these Words of Jesus regarding the Voice crying out in the wilderness, “All the people who heard him, and the tax collectors too, acknowledged God's plan by accepting baptism from John; but by refusing baptism from him the Pharisees and the lawyers had thwarted what God had in mind for them.” (LK 7:29).  Here, Jesus poises the Present Moment as a point about to diverge along two alternate realities: those who accept John’s call to Repentance receive The Gift of a New Life, to be Born Again with a new future; and those who refuse to repent, remain mired in their Sin, and thwart the wonderful future that ‘God had in mind for them’.  The world was then, and still is today, divided into those who receive The Gift, and those who reject Him.

         Earlier, in chapter three, we read of John, “He said, therefore, to the crowds who came to be baptized by him, 'Brood of vipers, who warned you to fly from the retribution that is coming?  But if you are repentant, produce the appropriate fruits…” (Lk 3:7).  All in the crowd had sinned against God, so, all had earned the title ‘brood of vipers’ –all were under the retribution of their Sin.  

         The answer, to who warned them to flee from it, is none other than the Spirit of God within, the Voice of conscience, bending to the gravity of what they have done.  This repentance is the gift that introduces them to The Gift.  It is the Seed that leads to a Death which is raised up to New Life.  And it is this Death which is evidence of the appropriate fruits –a life lived for God.  Some in the crowd heard John’s call to Repentance; accepted Gods’ plan for their lives; turned from Sin and made straight the path in their hearts to receive the One Sent, the Savior of the world.  And some in the crowd did not.

         Father, this Advent as I gaze upon The Gift of your Son, may your Spirit gently gift me with the revelation of my wretchedness, with the gravity of my Sin, that I may fly to your Mercy, that I may Live Anew in all ways pleasing to you.  Jesus, you are The Gift of my desire.  I submit to John’s baptism of repentance –I stand washed in the Water gushing from your Wound on the Cross, washed of the Sin I renounce.  Baptize me now, in your Holy Spirit and Fire –empower me to live in the Light of your Truth.  This, my plea for your Mercy, is the only gift I have to offer.  I wrap it in Faith, Hope and Love.

A Sign For You

A Sign For You

“And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)

            Let us set the scene:  They were lowly shepherds.  Too poor to have a roof to cover their heads, they lived in the fields of the sheep they tended.  It was The Night upon which every day prior, and every day after, marked its place in time.  Heaven was rent open and the Glory of God shown about them, and the angel of the Lord appeared to them and said, “… I bring you news of great joy …Today …a savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”  Immediately, the shepherds set off and found Christ the Lord, The Baby, clothed in rags, in a manger –and they glorified God.

         Why did God entrust the greatest newsflash in history to unconnected, unimportant, homeless sheep herders?  Why was the King of Kings born into a stable adorned in hay and manure?  Why was the Prince of Peace wrapped in rags?  Why did the Almighty Savior debut as a helpless baby?  Maybe it is because Jesus has come as The Sign pointing to Truth.  “…he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty.” (2Cor 8:9).  …“His state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave, and became as men are; and being as all men are, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross …But God raised him high and gave him the name which is above all other names…” (Phil 2:6-9)

         The Humble Baby, in humble rags, in a humble manger became The Sign pointing to our God.  In his Poverty we find our Richness.  Poverty is the Signature of Christ; the Pathway to Life; the Source of our Meaning.  Only in our emptiness, in our powerlessness, in our poverty, can we recognize The Baby, dressed in rags, in the manger.  

         Herod happened upon the Truth as the Magi sought directions, but Herod did not want to find God –he wanted to be God- so he tried to kill The Truth among the Holy Innocents.  Thirty-three years later, his successor did, but only for three days -as it lay hidden conquering Death.  The Rich Young Man was seeking Truth, but impoverished by his wealth, he turned his back on Jesus.  And the Pharisees and Sadducees, smugly comforted in their religiosity, could not recognize their Savior.  But, the Shepherds, the Sick, the Destitute, and the Thief on the Cross –all faced life and came up Empty; and all, recognized the Humble Face of Jesus.  Such is the Mystery of Mercy.  Only in surrendering to our Brokenness, to our Emptiness, are we ripped open and rendered to Truth.

          As we stay the course, let us pray that we become ever more Desperate -for Truth.  Let us pray that in confronting our Poverty, we not deny it, but embrace it; that we recognize the Face of our Lord -a Sign that Salvation is near: “A cry goes up from the poor man, and Yahweh hears, and helps him in all his troubles.” (Ps 34:6).  With Joyful Hope, let us gaze upon The Baby, wrapped in rags, lying await in the manger.  Let us Rejoice that God is among us to save.

Lord, Lord

Lord, Lord (Matthew 7:21-27)

'It is not those who say to me, "Lord, Lord", who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.’ (Mt 7:21)

          This warning of Jesus is addressed, not to the unconverted, but to his followers.  And paradoxically, it is these followers who are most unaware of their need to hear it.

         Jesus then takes them to the Last Judgment: ‘When the day comes many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?”  Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!' (Mt 7:22-3)  This is a most perplexing Word –Jesus has called men evil that spent their lives doing very good things in his name.

         How can this be, especially since he had just finished teaching about how we will be judged by our fruits? (Mt 7:19)  Would not prophesying, casting out demons, working miracles –all in the name of Jesus- be considered exemplary fruit of a Christian?  At first sight it might seem like we are literally damned if do and damned if we don’t –those who did not bear good fruit are condemned, and, those who did bear good fruit were also condemned.  A superficial reading of these neighboring verses might leave one conflicted.

         A startling encounter, over three decades ago, has given me an insight into this perplexing Word of Jesus.  I had crossed paths with a renowned evangelist who was an inspiring preacher with a ministry for healing eyes –which my wife personally experienced.  The last night of his ministering, after a particularly moving healing service, he invited me to dinner.  We talked about the Lord and the wonderful things that had happened, but then, the conversation took a surprising turn -he was propositioning me!  I was stunned as I stumbled away from that dinner table.

         It took a while to process what I had witnessed –how God allows the sinful to speak and do wonders in his Name.  I came to see that I was not all that different from the fallen evangelist.  As a leader in Christian community, I too spoke and did good things in the Name of Jesus; and I too struggled with sin not known to others.  All of the Twelve did wondrous things in the Name of Jesus; and all of them struggled with inner weakness and sin; but only one was eternally defined by betrayal.  What can explain the difference?  Could the answer lie in Jesus’ concluding parable on Judgment Day?

         He tells the story of two men who each built a house. The sensible man’s was on rock and the foolish one’s was on sand.  Both weathered severe storms –only the one built on rock remained.  The house symbolizes the sum total of our life.  The ‘falling’ or ‘standing’ is our eternal destiny.  And the foundation (not the storm) determines that destiny.  

         The house on sand is a life founded on serving selfish desire.  The house on rock is a life based on the Father’s Will.   Our house may be magnificent, but if it is built on sand, it will fall when subjected to the Storm of flood and wind –the Last Judgment.   But the house built on the Rock of Faithfulness, even if it appears small and simple, shall endure into Glory.  So it is that we cannot judge by appearances.  A Life that appears tidy and secure may be in grave danger of damnation; and a life that seems amiss may be silently forging Eternal Reward.

         So what can we learn from this alarming Word of Jesus?  For one, ‘Faith without works’ is dead, and, ‘works without Faith’ is just as dead.  But for me, the most urgent lesson is the insidious nature of Sin.  The “Lord, Lord” followers of Jesus were on the path to damnation.  They were beguiled by the good works in their lives.  Blinded to their sin, and justified by their righteous works, they came to believe the lie that they lived, instead of the Lord they served when first begun.  What makes this so dangerous is that these Deceived Souls, active in ministry, forgot their need for a Savior.

         This deception does not happen overnight.  It begins with our tolerance of “small” sins.  Maybe we excuse a sinful behavior because of the stress we are under as a result of doing good things; or maybe we justify a shady act in order to accomplish a good that we want; maybe we just feel like we “deserve” this one little sin.  Imperceptibly, but inevitably, if not repented of, these “small” sins define the character of our soul. The exception becomes the norm –Sin rules our soul and our house is now destined to collapse if subjected to Storm’s Truth.

         Jesus provides the answer: “Therefore, anyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like the sensible man who built his house on the rock.” (Mt 7:24)  To listen to and act on the words of Jesus is the definition of Obedient Faith.  Obedience is a binary choice –yes or no.  It is never ‘mostly’ or ‘maybe a little not’.  We can never allow ourselves to willfully choose to disobey the Will of God.  Likewise, Faithfulness is a binary condition –we are either Faithful or Unfaithful.  

         To say that I know Jesus, and yet willfully choose to violate his Word, is to place those horrific words into Jesus’ mouth: “I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!”  Imagine this scenario:  I have publicly professed to be a follower of Christ, yet willfully invite Sin into my life.  I die suddenly and find myself exposed to the Light of Truth.  Could I have the audacity to look into the Face of God and beg for Mercy?  Could I lie to Him and say I do not deserve condemnation?  And, if finding myself in the Flames of Hell, would I be eternally consumed with the question “What was I thinking?”  Is this the Price of Sin?

         Jesus, save me from my sins.  Holy Spirit, instill in me a hatred for Sin and a Love for my Father’s Will.  Father, I desire to be a Faithful Son.  Possess me and displace all Selfishness with your Love.  I give you permission to do whatever it takes for me to be conformed to your Purpose for my life.  Make it so, Lord.  Make it so.

What About Me?

What About Me?

“…there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  But before all this happens, men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name - and that will be your opportunity to bear witness.” (LK 21:11-3)

         Calvary is only days away.  Jesus already told his disciples he is about to die.  Now, instead of giving them a pep talk, he tells them about the fearful and terrible things to come, and how they will suffer for knowing him.   Not only that, but they are to see this as an opportunity to bear witness!  How could they have received his Word?

         There is a radio commercial that so irritates me I find myself turning the channel until it’s over.  This guy keeps repeating, that at his business, “It’s all about you.”  Who actually believes that?!  But the deeper question is how many of us want to believe that.  And the sobering answer is we all do.  

         Deep in our soul, at the core of our untamed flesh, lives the delusion that we are the center of the universe, and it will remain there -resisting Truth till we draw our last breath.  It is why foolish commercials work, why sin can rise from its ashes to humiliate our love for God, why we need a Savior.

         As a young child in religion class, I was challenged with the most fundamental question of life –Why did God make us?  It was well within the childish capacity of my mind to learn the simple answer –God made us to know, love and serve him.  Yet a half century later, my soul is still learning to unwrap this Defining Truth.

         To the soul deceived by the Father of Lies, this Other-Centered belief is foolish if not reviling.  To the soul penetrated by the Light of the Father of Love, this belief is the beginning and end of Life –that we exist to know, love and serve God is glorious privilege.

         It is only in possessing this Life Defining Truth that we can receive these Words of Jesus with joy –that we can embrace the suffering of knowing him and, in so doing, give witness to the God who gives us Life.  In being freed from the selfishness of our inner child, we are freed from the need to serve our Insatiable Self –we are freed to serve the God who created us.  In all ways, serving God is loving and Love is the Preeminent Witness -for God is Love.

         As a toddler wanders into the path of a car, the mother does not stop to consider ‘What about me?’ before scooping up her child.  Love does not count the cost to Self –‘What about me?’ is absent from the vocabulary of Love.  To lay down one’s life is to give Witness to our Savior’s Death.  Life is not at all “all about us” -it is all about his Sacrificial Love for us.

         Father, you gave your Son into suffering and death -that I might live.  Jesus, you did not count the cost to free me from Sin.  Holy Spirit, possess me -that I may give Witness to your Sacrificial Love.

Remain In Me

Remain In Me (John 15:1-8)

“Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.  As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.”  

To remain in Christ is to live in his Word, to put on the Mind of Christ, to Believe in him, to be Obedient to his Will.  To remain in him is to make our home in him, to abide in the Life of Christ, to abandon our soul into the Trinitarian Embrace –to be grafted, through the Faith of Baptism, to the Vine of Life.

         Thus does the Branch receive freely from the Vine to have its needs met.  The Vine knows what the Branch needs and provides for it -as blood gives life to the body, so does the Branch of Christ, gives his Holy Spirit to his Branches.  

To be in union with Christ, is then, the key to faith’s doorway: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you will and you shall get it.”  For Jesus himself, the Eternal Intercessor, standing before the Father, gives Voice to our needs (Hebrews  7:25)  –because the Vine is in Love -in Union with- the Branch.

         As we remain in him, we receive the Substance and the Sustenance of Life.   The Substance, the Body and Blood of Christ, co-mingles us with God.  The Sustenance -the Holy Spirit- is the Infilling of the Father’s Love, the Breath which brings us to Life.

In making our home in Jesus, we witness his bringing forth Life from Death.  It means we eagerly submit our sins to the Father’s pruning shears, because our Faith and Hope guarantee we shall bear much fruit –that we shall bring much glory to our Father as Faithful Stewards of his Love.  It means that the cost of Loving others, as Christ Loves us, is infinitely miniscule compared to the reward of Knowing God –of Abiding in his Love.

Jesus, in abandoning my heart into your Mercy, I become possessed by you.  In consuming the Bread of Life, the God of Life consumes my Darkness, exchanging my heart of stone for your Heart of Love.  In drinking your Cup, I surrender to your Will –your Precious Spirit becomes the Blood of my blood, my Source of Life and Love.  

          Jesus, I remain in you only because you remain in me.  All praise is due to you, All Faithful Lord.  You bore the Cross that this lowly branch may be grafted to The Divine.  What Grace, what Gift –to bear your Name, to know your Love, to make Home in my God.