Lectionary: 258
When Judas Iscariot had left, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once.
The same prophet who gave us the Servant of the Lord poems also heard God say, “Go and say to this people:
Listen carefully, but do not understand!
Look intently, but do not perceive!
Make the heart of this people sluggish,
dull their ears and close their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears,
and their heart understand,
and they turn and be healed.”
In the Gospel of Saint John – this morning’s gospel – the crucifixion of Jesus is his glorification. Or, to put it another way, one four-fold event comprises his Last Supper, his crucifixion, his Resurrection, and his Ascension. In this singularity, many mysteries with different names reflect and refract the glory of God like the facets of a diamond.
Those who participate in the Mass are caught up in this supremely mysterious event. In the horror of his crucifixion we see a Glory which the world cannot see. They might listen carefully and look intently but they will neither understand nor perceive, because their hearts are sluggish, the ears are dull, and their eyes are closed.
Nor should we boast in our privilege for we have neither earned nor deserved it. It is simply God's gift to us for reasons known only to God. Rather than some swollen-ego-foolishness -- or worse, a denial of the rightness of God's choice -- our response must be gratitude with a ready willingness to go with the Lord to Calvary. During Holy Week, especially, we excuse ourselves from other responsibilities, duties, and expectations to attend our Lord and Savior.
Regardless of their previous experience, those given the Spirit of Jesus know they cannot turn back. The Way of Truth, as difficult as it is, and impossible to explain, insistently beckons them onward. Our crosses are never so heavy as His; our blessings are more than sufficient for the struggles to come.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.