Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 327 


Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.


As the Author of the Letter to the Hebrews goes into his summation, he remind us of a fundamental teaching, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." 
We hear that credal statement during the Easter Vigil as the priest blesses the Pascal Candle. He etches the year -- 2013 -- into the wax and reiterates our conviction that Jesus Christ is Lord of the Past, Present and Future; and there is no other. 

Many people suppose that the time has come to abandon the beliefs of our past. With all the discoveries, developments and changes of the last ten years -- or fifty years -- or two hundred years -- isn't it time to rewrite our creed? Men can become women now. Married people can divorce. Women can marry women. Grandmothers can give birth to their own grandchildren. And raise them because the children's own parents are pursuing more important ambitions like money, power, drugs and alcohol. We are travelling to Infinity and beyond. 

As Bob Dylan sang a half-century ago: 

Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin

All the more reason to affirm our faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

Actually, we've seen change before. It's nothing new to Christians or Catholics. And it's not terribly frightening because our faith anchors us in Jesus. We can watch the changes around us with the disinterest of television watchers. Fads come and go, along with styles, ideas, and sciences. Anybody remember phrenology? It was a big deal at one time. How about astrology? Serious people investigated it; they weren't just two-bit charlatans. Nations too, and empires, rise and fall. There was the Roman Empire, then the Holy Roman Empire, and French, Spanish, Russian, Byzantine, Muslim and British empires. And Viking, Chinese, Japanese and Dutch. (No Irish?) And finally, the American empire will fade as another takes its place. 

But Jesus remains. 

The main point of what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up. (Hebrews 8:1-2)

The Word of God, as our Author has assured us, is still sharper than any two edged sword. It remains even when its medium -- paper, iron or stone -- disintegrates. And long after the wax of our Pascal Candle has burned away. 

There is still time for critics and skeptics to join us. We have found an anchor that holds despite the changes of all time. They can swim with us -- or sink like a stone.