In the Gospel’s Parable of the Rich Fool, a rich man’s land produces bountifully. Upon seeing this, which of the following does the rich man say:
A) “I shall fill my barns and give the rest to the poor.”
B) “I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones to store everything away.”
C) “I shall keep only what I need and give the rest away.”
D) “Lord, what do you want me to do with all of this wealth?”
Which response do you think would have pleased the Lord most?
Two weeks ago, Martha approached Jesus to complain about her sister, “Tell her to help me.” Today, a man goes to Jesus to complain about his brother, “Tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” While both complaints are seemingly appeals for justice, Jesus refuses them. They are actually centered on selfishness rather than love. Jesus says, “it will not be taken from her,” and “take care to guard against all greed.”
The rich man in the parable says to himself, “You have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry,” but the God says, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you.” The rich man is about to come to face his judgment as a truly poor man—possessing no wealth “in what matters to God.”
Martha is corrected for being obsessed with her anxious, self-centered work. The Rich Man is condemned for aspiring to an easy life of leisure. We are called to avoid both errors as we work diligently with generous love to accrue the kind of riches that God esteems.
They say a rumor can travel around the world while truth is still pulling its boots on.
In each of these cases, the initial headlines and news reports took the popes’ words out of their larger contexts and trumpeted them with a significance which they never had. Many reporters know little about religion and misunderstand the Catholic news stories they cover. Some reporters are hostile toward Catholicism and tend to report on the Church as if it were changing to accord with their views. The lesson here is that initial media coverage about a Pope saying something controversial can be relied upon to be unreliable. Do not be unsettled when you hear such “news reports.” Just wait a few days for the neglected facts and the unremarkable full story to catch up.
“You cannot be half a saint; you must be a whole saint
or no saint at all.”
-St. Therese of Lisieux
“If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!”
–St. Catherine of Sienna
“You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working, and just so, you learn to love by loving. All those who think to learn in any other way deceive themselves.”
-St. Francis de Sales
“Let us go forward in peace, our eyes upon heaven,
the only one goal of our labors.”
-St. Therese of Lisieux
“Love God, serve God; everything is in that.”
-St. Clare of Assisi
“Pray as though everything depended on God.
Work as though everything depended on you.”
-St. Augustine
“Pray, hope, and don’t worry”
-St. Pio of Pietrelcino
The light of faith is capable of enhancing the richness of human relations, their ability to endure, to be trustworthy, to enrich our life together. Faith does not draw us away from the world or prove irrelevant to the concrete concerns of the men and women of our time. Without a love which is trustworthy, nothing could truly keep men and women united. Human unity would be conceivable only on the basis of utility, on a calculus of conflicting interests or on fear…. Faith is truly a good for everyone; it is a common good. Its light does not simply brighten the interior of the Church, nor does it serve solely to build an eternal city in the hereafter; it helps us build our societies in such a way that they can journey towards a future of hope. (§51)
The first setting in which faith enlightens the human city is the family. I think first and foremost of the stable union of man and woman in marriage. This union is born of their love, as a sign and presence of God’s own love, and of the acknowledgment and acceptance of the goodness of sexual differentiation, whereby spouses can become one flesh (see Genesis 2:24) and are enabled to give birth to a new life, a manifestation of the Creator’s goodness, wisdom and loving plan. Grounded in this love, a man and a woman can promise each other mutual love in a gesture which engages their entire lives and mirrors many features of faith. Promising love for ever is possible when we perceive a plan bigger than our own ideas and undertakings, a plan which sustains us and enables us to surrender our future entirely to the one we love. Faith also helps us to grasp in all its depth and richness the begetting of children, as a sign of the love of the Creator who entrusts us with the mystery of a new person. (§52)
In the family, faith accompanies every age of life, beginning with childhood: children learn to trust in the love of their parents. This is why it is so important that within their families parents encourage shared expressions of faith which can help children gradually to mature in their own faith. …We have all seen, during World Youth Days, the joy that young people show in their faith and their desire for an ever more solid and generous life of faith. (§53)
Modernity sought to build a universal brotherhood based on equality, yet we gradually came to realize that this brotherhood, lacking a reference to a common Father as its ultimate foundation, cannot endure. We need to return to the true basis of brotherhood. …Thanks to faith we have come to understand the unique dignity of each person, something which was not clearly seen in antiquity. …Without insight into these realities, there is no criterion for discerning what makes human life precious and unique. Man loses his place in the universe, he is cast adrift in nature, either renouncing his proper moral responsibility or else presuming to be a sort of absolute judge, endowed with an unlimited power to manipulate the world around him. (§54)
When faith is weakened, the foundations of life also risk being weakened, as the poet T.S. Eliot warned: “Do you need to be told that even those modest attainments / As you can boast in the way of polite society / Will hardly survive the Faith to which they owe their significance?”If we remove faith in God from our cities, mutual trust would be weakened, we would remain united only by fear and our stability would be threatened. (§55)
To speak of faith often involves speaking of painful testing, yet it is precisely in such testing that [St.] Paul sees the most convincing proclamation of the Gospel, for it is in weakness and suffering that we discover God’s power which triumphs over our weakness and suffering. …Christians know that suffering cannot be eliminated, yet it can have meaning and become an act of love and entrustment into the hands of God who does not abandon us; in this way it can serve as a moment of growth in faith and love. By contemplating Christ’s union with the Father even at the height of his sufferings on the cross (see Mark 15:34), Christians learn to share in the same gaze of Jesus. Even death is illumined and can be experienced as the ultimate call to faith, …the ultimate “Come!” spoken by the Father, to whom we abandon ourselves in the confidence that he will keep us steadfast even in our final passage. (§56)
Let us turn in prayer to Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of our faith.
Mother, help our faith! Open our ears to hear God’s word and to recognize his voice and call. Awaken in us a desire to follow in his footsteps, to go forth from our own land and to receive his promise. Help us to be touched by his love, that we may touch him in faith. Help us to entrust ourselves fully to him and to believe in his love, especially at times of trial, beneath the shadow of the cross, when our faith is called to mature. Sow in our faith the joy of the Risen One. Remind us that those who believe are never alone. Teach us to see all things with the eyes of Jesus, that he may be light for our path. And may this light of faith always increase in us, until the dawn of that undying day which is Christ himself, your Son, our Lord!
Given in Rome, at Saint Peter’s, on 29 June, the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, in the year 2013, the first of my pontificate. (§60)
In the Easter liturgy, the light of the paschal candle lights countless other candles. Faith is [likewise] passed on, we might say, by contact, from one person to another, just as one candle is lighted from another. (§37)
The transmission of the faith not only brings light to men and women in every place; it travels through time, passing from one generation to another. …It is through an unbroken chain of witnesses that we come to see the face of Jesus. But how is this possible? How can we be certain, after all these centuries, that we have encountered the “real Jesus”? Were we merely isolated individuals… a certainty of this sort would be impossible. I cannot possibly verify for myself something which happened so long ago. But this is not the only way we attain knowledge. …Faith’s past, that act of Jesus’ love which brought new life to the world, comes down to us through the memory of others — witnesses — and is kept alive in that one remembering subject which is the Church. …The love which is the Holy Spirit and which dwells in the Church unites every age and makes us contemporaries of Jesus…. (§38)
It is impossible to believe on our own. Faith is not simply an individual decision which takes place in the depths of the believer’s heart, nor a completely private relationship between the “I” of the believer and the divine “Thou,” between an autonomous subject and God. By its very nature, faith is open to the “We” of the Church; it always takes place within her communion.(§39)
The Church, like every family, passes on to her children the whole store of her memories. But how does this come about in a way that nothing is lost, but rather everything in the patrimony of faith comes to be more deeply understood? It is through the apostolic Tradition preserved in the Church with the assistance of the Holy Spirit that we enjoy a living contact with the foundational memory. …For transmitting a purely doctrinal content, an idea might suffice, or perhaps a book, or the repetition of a spoken message. But what is communicated in the Church, what is handed down in her living Tradition, is the new light born of an encounter with the true God…. There is a special means for passing down this fullness, a means capable of engaging the entire person, body and spirit, interior life and relationships with others. It is the sacraments, celebrated in the Church’s liturgy. (§40)
The transmission of faith occurs first and foremost in baptism. Some might think that baptism is merely a way of symbolizing the confession of faith, a [teaching] tool for those who require images and signs, while in itself ultimately unnecessary. An observation of Saint Paul about baptism reminds us that this is not the case (see Romans 6:4). (§41)
[Baptism] is not an act which someone can perform on his own, but rather something which must be received by entering into the ecclesial communion which transmits God’s gift. No one baptizes himself, just as no one comes into the world by himself. Baptism is something we receive. (§41)
The sacramental character of faith finds its highest expression in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is a precious nourishment for faith: an encounter with Christ truly present in the supreme act of his love, the life-giving gift of himself. In the Eucharist we find the intersection of faith’s two dimensions. On the one hand, there is the dimension of history…. On the other hand, we also find the dimension which leads from the visible world to the invisible. (§44)
[These] are the four elements which comprise the storehouse of memory which the Church hands down: the profession of faith, the celebration of the sacraments, the path of the ten commandments, and prayer. …TheCatechism of the Catholic Church, [which is structured on these four elements] is a fundamental aid for that unitary act with which the Church communicates the entire content of her faith: “all that she herself is, and all that she believes.” (§46)
These days we can imagine a group of people being united in a common cause, in mutual affection, in sharing the same destiny and a single purpose. But we find it hard to conceive of a unity in one truth. We tend to think that a unity of this sort is incompatible with freedom of thought and personal autonomy. Yet the experience of love shows us that a common vision is possible, for through love we learn how to see reality through the eyes of others, not as something which impoverishes but instead enriches our vision. Genuine love, after the fashion of God’s love, ultimately requires truth, and the shared contemplation of the truth which is Jesus Christ enables love to become deep and enduring. (§46)
Faith is also one because it is directed to the one Lord, to the life of Jesus, to the concrete history which he shares with us. St. Irenaeus of Lyons made this clear in his struggle against Gnosticism [which contrasted the crude, fleshy faith of the many & the enlightened, spiritual faith of the few.] St. Irenaeus insisted that there is but one faith, for it is grounded in the concrete event of the incarnation and can never transcend the flesh and history of Christ, inasmuch as God willed to reveal himself fully in that flesh. For this reason, he says, there is no difference in the faith of “those able to discourse of it at length” and “those who speak but little.” (§47)
Since faith is one, it must be professed in all its purity and integrity. Precisely because all the articles of faith are interconnected, to deny one of them, even of those that seem least important, is tantamount to distorting the whole. Each period of history can find this or that point of faith easier or harder to accept: hence the need for vigilance in ensuring that the deposit of faith is passed on in its entirety (see 1 Timothy 6:20) and that all aspects of the profession of faith are duly emphasized. Indeed, inasmuch as the unity of faith is the unity of the Church, to subtract something from the faith is to subtract something from the veracity of communion. (§48)
As a service to the unity of faith and its integral transmission, the Lord gave his Church the gift of apostolic succession. …She depends on the fidelity of witnesses chosen by the Lord for this task. …Thanks to the Church’s magisterium, [the whole counsel of God] can come to us in its integrity, and with it the joy of being able to follow it fully. (§49)
Who are the “thrones, dominions, principalities and powers” mentioned in today’s second reading?
Saint Paul is listing four varieties of angels who have differing roles in serving God. Angels are purely spiritual creatures who were made through and for Christ. They have minds for knowing and freewill for choosing—this makes them persons and capable of love. The angels always glorify God and serve in his saving plans for other creatures. Sometimes they are His messengers, like Gabriel at the Annunciation. Some serve as guardians; over whole nations or even the least children (see Daniel 10 & Matthew 18:10.) Archangels and our guardian angels are thought to belong to the lowest levels in the hierarchy of angels—well below the power of the ranks that Saint Paul mentioned—yet we do well to remember to pray for their help. Even the least of our angelic protectors is more powerful than any flesh and blood foe. Even the highest demons who act against God’s will can be overcome by humble angels, as the archangel Saint Michael’s victory over the devil proves (see Revelation 12:7-9.)
In our Gospel, Jesus is questioned by a “scholar of the Law.” What does that title tell us about that man?
He was an expert on the Old Covenant Law of Moses and its 613 commandments. The scribes in Jesus’ day were regarded as scholars of the Law but tended to be hostile toward Christ.
A “Levite” passed on the opposite side. Who were the Levites?
These were men of the tribe of Levi (though not descended from Aaron like the Jewish priests) who were appointed to assist in the worship and rituals at the Temple in Jerusalem. A commandment in the Law of Moses required Levites (and priests) to avoid contact with dead bodies in order to remain ritually pure, which is probably why they passed by on the opposite side of the road.
The Samaritan showed mercy. Who were the “Samaritans?”
The Samaritans were a mixed-race people descended from intermarriage between Israelites and Assyrian colonists. They dwelt in Samaria, the region between Galilee and Judea. Samaritans worshiped the same God as the Jews and kept many of the same religious practices, but they rejected the priesthood at Mt. Zion and worshiped instead on their own Mt. Gerizim. The enmity between the Jews and Samaritans was so great that Jews traveling between Galilee and Judea often crossed the Jordan to bypass the land of Samaira entirely.
(See 1 Thessalonians 5)
After the great sins of David, regarding Bathsheba and Uriah, God told King David, “I anointed you king of Israel. I rescued you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own. I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more.” God says this to reveal the ingratitude of David and to prompt a change in the way that David lives. We’ve all been richly blessed also, therefore, we must also live properly.
All good things in life come from God: every beauty you behold with your senses, every useful possession you own, every kind person you know, every good personal characteristic you have, all of these are gifts from God to you. We are not the masters of the things we have or are. We are stewards of these gifts and our Lord is God.
Between God and us there is an immeasurable inequality, for we have received everything from him, our Creator. Our service is not about repaying to God for his loans and our debts. But God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of his grace. ‘By works of the law alone no one will be justified.’ But when we do good works out of love for Christ, by his grace working in us, Jesus rewards us.
“Do you see this woman?” Jesus asks Simon the Pharisee. From her wealth, she gave fine perfume. In her heart, she gave sad tears. From her strength, she gave humble service. From her beauty, she gave her hair soft. From her body, she gave affectionate kisses. The woman gave their best gifts to Jesus because she was forgiven and loved much. She is an example for us. Jesus Christ, who has given you the good things you have, deserves your best gifts of love. And every time you do, he will reward you for our gifts.
Después de los grandes pecados de David, con respecto a Betsabé y Urías, Dios dijo al rey David, “Yo te consagré rey de Israel y te libré de las manos de Saúl, te confié la casa de tu Señor y puse sus mujeres en tus brazos; te di poder sobre Judá e Israel, y si todo esto te parece poco, estoy dispuesto a darte todavía más.” Dios dice esto a revelar la ingratitud de David, y fomentar un cambio en la forma de como David vive. Todos hemos sido ricamente bendecidos también, por lo tanto, debemos vivir apropiadamente también.
Todas las cosas buenas de su vida vienen de Dios: cada belleza que contemplas con tus sentidos, cada posesión útil que posees, cada persona amable que conoces, cada buena característica de la persona que tienes, todos de estos son dones de Dios para ti. No somos los amos de las cosas que tenemos o somos. Somos mayordomos de estos dones y nuestro Señor es Dios.
Entre Dios y nosotros, la desigualdad no tiene medida, porque nosotros lo hemos recibido todo de Él, nuestro Creador. Nuestro servicio no es sobre pagar a Dios por sus créditos y nuestras deudas. Pero Dios ha dispuesto libremente asociar al hombre a la obra de su gracia. ‘Nadie queda justificado por el cumplimiento de la ley sólo.’ Pero cuando hacemos buenas obras por amor a Cristo, por su gracia que obrando en nosotros, Jesús nos recompensa.
“¿Ves a esta mujer?” Jesús pregunta a Simón el fariseo. De su riqueza, ella dio fina perfume. De su corazón, ella dio tristes lágrimas. De su fuerza, ella dio servicio humilde. De su belleza, ella dio su cabello suave. De su cuerpo, ella dio besos cariñosos. La mujer dio sus mejores regalos a Jesús porque ella fue perdonado y amado mucho. Ella es un ejemplo para nosotros. Jesucristo, quien nos ha dado las cosas buenas que tenemos, merece recibir nuestras mejores regalos de amor. Y, cada vez que lo hacemos, él nos recompensará nuestros dones.
The Beatitudes of Jesus are autobiographical:
Jesus was poor in spirit.
Jesus mourned.
Jesus was meek.
Jesus hungered and thirsted for righteousness.
Jesus was merciful.
Jesus was clean of heart.
Jesus was a peacemaker.
Jesus was persecuted for the sake of righteousness.
Jesus was insulted and persecuted and had every kind of evil uttered against him falsely.
Jesus’ saints are people like him, and they share in his reward:
Theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
They are now comforted.
They inherit the land.
They are now satisfied.
They have been shown mercy.
They now see God.
They are his children.
Theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
And their reward is great in heaven.
Today, St. Paul told the Corinthians: “Our hope for you is firm, for we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the encouragement.” If you and I share in Christ’s likeness, we too will share in the reward that belongs to Jesus and his saints.
We become like what we worship. Whatever we value most, whatever we serve as our highest good, is the object of our worship. Whatever it is, the object of our worship forms the kind of people we become. When we worship money, we become greedy. When we worship sex, we become lustful. When we worship power, we become corrupt. When we worship sports, we become fanatical. When we worship appearances, we become vain. When we worship self, we become selfish. But when we worship God, we become godlike. We are called to worship the Holy Trinity, and become like the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The three persons of the Trinity share the same divine attributes. Each one is all-knowing, all-good, all-powerful, but each is a distinct person who knows, loves, and acts. We came to know that the one true God of the Old Testament was not a solitary oneness through the words and example of Jesus Christ. For example, Jesus accepts others’ worship, something only God can rightly do. While Jesus declares that he and God the Father are one, Jesus also prays to his heavenly Father as another person. The Holy Trinity shares the divine nature and consists of three persons.
The Trinity exists as a loving communion of persons. Each one loves and gives the gift of self to the others. This love overflows the Trinity, leading to the creation of everything in the heavens and the earth. We were not made because God had need of us, but because love likes to share and delights in others’ joy. We are called to worship the Trinity, but we are also called to become like the Trinity. To be at home in heaven, we must enter into the loving communion with persons; human, angelic, and divine. Holiness is not a solitary project. No one becomes a saint without others. Even a secluded hermit must be connected to the wider communion of believers, through loving concern, prayer, and the sacraments. Without this connection to others, the hermit will not become a saint.
How does God intend to make you a saint? Look around at the people in your everyday life. It is through your loving communion with these that the Holy Trinity wants to make you similar to himself. I challenge you to consider how to know, love and serve them more and thereby become a more perfect image of God.
Nos convertimos en lo que adoramos. Lo que más valoramos, lo servimos como nuestro supremo bien, es el objeto de nuestra adoración. Sea lo que sea, el objeto de nuestra adoración constituye el tipo de personas nos convertimos. Cuando adoramos dinero, nos convertimos codiciosos. Cuando adoramos sexo, nos convertimos lujurioso. Cuando adoramos poder, nos convertimos corruptos. Cuando adoramos a los deportes, nos convertimos en fanáticos. Cuando adoramos a las apariencias, nos convertimos vano. Cuando adoramos a uno mismo, nos convertimos egoístas. Pero cuando adoramos a Dios, llegamos a ser divino. Estamos llamados a adorar a la Santísima Trinidad, y llegamos a ser como el Padre, el Hijo y el Espíritu Santo.
Las tres personas de la Trinidad comparten los mismos atributos divinos. Cada uno lo sabe todo, es todo bueno, y es todopoderoso, pero cada uno es una persona distinta que conoce, ama y actúa. Llegamos a saber que el único y verdadero Dios del Antiguo Testamento no era una unidad solitaria a través de las palabras y el ejemplo de Jesucristo. Por ejemplo, Jesús acepta la adoración de los demás, algo que sólo Dios puede hacer justamente. Mientras que Jesús declara que él y Dios el Padre son uno, Jesús tambien ora a su Padre celestial como otra persona. La Santísima Trinidad comparte la naturaleza divina y consiste en tres personas.
La Trinidad existe como una amorosa comunión de las personas. Cada uno ama y se da el don de sí mismo a nosotros. Este amor se desborda la Trinidad y conduce a la creación de todo en los cielos y la tierra. No fuimos hechos por Dios porque tenía necesidad de nosotros, sino porque el amor le gusta compartir y disfruta de la alegría de los demás. Estamos llamados a adorar a la Trinidad, pero también estamos llamados a ser como la Trinidad. Para estar en casa en el cielo, necessitamos entrar aqui en la amorosa comunión con las personas, humano, angélica y divina. Su santidad no es un proyecto solitario. Nadie se convierte en un santo sin otras personas. Incluso un ermitaño recluido debe estar conectado a la comunión de los creyentes en general, a través del amor, la oración y los sacramentos. Sin esta conexión con los demás, el ermitaño no se convierta en un santo.
¿Cómo Dios te haga un santo? Mire a las personas en su vida cotidiana. Es a través de la comunión amorosa con estos que la Santísima Trinidad quiere hacerte similar a sí mismo. Te reto a que considere cómo conocer, amar y servir a ellos más y por lo tanto convertirse en una imagen más perfecta de Dios.
Before Pentecost was a Christian celebration, it was an ancient Jewish observance. In the Old Covenant, in the Law of Moses, God commanded his people to bring some of the first grain harvested from their fields to Jerusalem be sacrificed as a burnt offering. This is the reason why Jews from so many distant countries were gathered in Jerusalem on this fiftieth day after Passover. Each Pentecost, the world’s first fruits were gathered and consecrated to the Lord. On one unique Pentecost, the Pentecost seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, Jews from every land were gathered by the Holy Spirit, and consecrated to God the Father, through Jesus Christ. By the end of Old Testament era, God had scattered the seeds of his chosen people across the world. On this Pentecost, the first fruits of his harvest are brought into his barn, the Church.
Pentecost can be seen as the beginning of the end of God’s project of salvation because we are now living in the world’s final era. And yet, Pentecost can also be seen as the start of a new divine project that will perdure forever. At the Tower of Babel, mankind endeavors to build a city reaching all the way to heaven. In other words, they attempt to become as gods while rejecting God. The Lord knows that this recurring human tendency leads to self-destruction, for both individuals and societies, so he thwarts their project by confusing their language. On Pentecost, God undoes Babel by allowing all peoples to understand the Apostles’ words, uniting and ennobling them. On this day, God begins in earnest to build up the Church, a new great city in communion with God that reaches all the way to heaven. Though heaven and earth pass away, this city of God, the Church, shall continue forever.
Why did the Holy Spirit come down in the form of fire? God the Holy Spirit, like the angels, is pure spirit and has no physical body. To be seen by human beings they must assume an appearance. Why did the Holy Spirit appear in the likeness of flames? Consider a different question: How many matches does it take to burn down a forest? The fire from just one small match is enough. As the small fire spreads, while remaining itself, it transforms everything around it. The holy fire that descended on Pentecost did not harm or destroy like natural fire would. The apostles may have been alarmed to see flames sailing towards their heads, but they were not burnt. The fire of the Holy Spirit is like the fire of the burning bush that Moses beheld in Exodus. Divine fire does not consume, but glorifies its hosts. Jesus once declared, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Luke 12:49) On Pentecost, a fire is lit in Jerusalem that spreads and transforms the world. This fire is the Holy Spirit at work.
All of salvation history was a preparation for Jesus Christ and Pentecost. Now we live in the last age of the world, the age of the Church, the city of God which shall last forever. Each of us is called to play an active part in this project of the Holy Spirit. On Pentecost, just as important as the gift of tongues given to the apostles was the Holy Spirit’s gift of fearless joy. Even after they had seen Jesus resurrected, the apostles timidly hid behind locked doors “for fear of the Jews.” But the reception of the Holy Spirit gave them a happy courage that allowed them to talk about Jesus in public to anyone who would listen. We have received the Holy Spirit also. Then why are we so timid? Why are we shy to introduce others to Jesus, our friend? Why are we hesitant to welcome others to the Church, our community? It seems that the Holy Spirit declines to act with power within us until we give him our free consent. Like he waited upon Mary’s response at the Annunciation, so the Holy Spirit awaits our invitation. Open yourself to the Holy Spirit’s will. Ask him to give you new, powerful gifts. Give him permission to utilize you in the great project of salvation. And then, let us watch what he does through us.
Antes de Pentecostés era una fiesta cristiana, fue una celebración judía antigua. En el Antiguo Testamento, en la Ley de Moisés, Dios ordenó a su pueblo para llevar a algunos de los primeros granos cosechados de sus campos a Jerusalén ser sacrificado como ofrenda quemada. Esta es la razón Judios de muchos países lejanos se reunieron en Jerusalén en este quincuagésimo día después de la Pascua. Cada Pentecostés, las primicias del mundo se reunieron y se consagraron al Señor. Por un Pentecostés especial, siete semanas después de la resurrección de Jesús, Judios de todos los países se reunieron por el Espíritu Santo, y se consagraron a Dios Padre por medio de Jesucristo. Para el final de la época de del Antiguo Testamento, Dios había esparcido las semillas de su pueblo elegido a través del mundo. En este Pentecostés, los primeros frutos de su mies se llevan a su granero, la Iglesia.
Pentecostés se puede considerar como el comienzo del fin del proyecto de salvación de Dios porque estamos ahora viviendo en la época final del mundo. Y, sin embargo, Pentecostés se puede también ser visto como el comienzo de un nuevo divino proyecto que va a perdurar para siempre. A la Torre de Babel, la humanidad se esfuerza por construir una ciudad llegar al cielo. En otras palabras, ellos intentan convertirse en dioses mientras que rechazando a Dios. El Señor sabe que esta tendencia humana recurrente conduce a la auto-destrucción, tanto para los individuos y las sociedades. Por lo tanto, Dios frustra su proyecto a través de confundir su idioma. En Pentecostés, Dios deshace Babel a través de permitir que todos los pueblos a comprender las palabras de los apóstoles. Dios une a las gente y les ennoblece. En este día, Dios comienza en serio la edificación de la Iglesia, una nueva gran ciudad en comunión con Dios, que llega a todo el camino al cielo. Aunque el cielo y la tierra pueden pasar, esta ciudad de Dios, la Iglesia, continuará para siempre.
¿Por qué el Espíritu Santo descendió en forma de fuego? Dios el Espíritu Santo, como los ángeles, es espíritu puro y no tiene cuerpo físico. Para ser visto por los seres humanos deben asumir una apariencia. ¿Por qué el Espíritu Santo aparece en la imagen de las llamas? Considere una pregunta diferente: ¿Cuántas fósforos se necesitan para quemar un bosque? El fuego de un solo fósforo es suficiente. Como los pequeños fuego se extiende, sin dejar de ser ella misma, se transforma todo a su alrededor. El fuego sagrado que descendió en Pentecostés no dañar o destruir como el fuego natural. Los apóstoles pueden haber sentido la ansiedad a ver las llamas que vuelan hacia sus cabezas, pero no fueron quemados. El fuego del Espíritu Santo es como el fuego de la zarza ardiente que vio Moisés en Éxodo. Fuego divino no consume, pero glorifica a su moradas. Jesús una vez declaró: “Yo he venido a traer fuego sobre la tierra y ¡cuánto desearía que ya estuviera ardiendo!” (Lucas 12:49) En el día de Pentecostés, el fuego se enciende en Jerusalén, se extiende y transforma el mundo. Este fuego es el Espíritu Santo en el trabajo.
Toda la historia de la salvación fue una preparación para Cristo y Pentecostés. Ahora vivimos en la última época del mundo, la era de la Iglesia, la ciudad de Dios que durará para siempre. Cada uno de nosotros está llamado a desempeñar un papel activo en este proyecto delEspíritu Santo. En el día de Pentecostés, tan importante como el don de lenguas dadas a los apóstoles fue el don del Espíritu Santo de la alegría sin miedo. Aun después de que habían visto a Jesús resucitado, los apóstoles se escondían tímidamente detrás de puertas cerradas “por miedo de los Judios”. Sin embargo, la recepción delEspíritu Santo les dio un coraje feliz que les permitió hablar de Jesús en público a cualquier persona que escucharía. Hemos recibido el Espíritu Santo también. Entonces ¿por qué estamos tan tímido? ¿Por qué evitamos introducir a otros a Jesús, nuestro amigo? ¿Por qué estamos renuentes a dar la bienvenida a otros a nuestra Iglesia, nuestra comunidad? Parece que el Espíritu Santo se niega a actuar con el poder dentro de nosotros hasta que le demos nuestro consentimiento libre. Como él esperó a la respuesta de María en la Anunciación, del mismo modo el Espíritu Santo espera nuestra invitación. Ábrase a la voluntad delEspíritu Santo. Pídele que le dará nuevos, poderosos dones. Dará el Espíritu Santo permiso usarte más en su gran proyecto de salvación. Y luego, velemos lo que hace a través de nosotros.
Today, Jesus ascends with his human nature into heaven. He takes his seat at the right hand of the Father. There Jesus enjoys the greatest honor and intimacy with his Father and from heaven he reigns and intercedes for us. Yet I wonder on this Feast of the Ascension, “Why didn’t Jesus remain visibly with us, here on earth? Why not lead us as our king down here so that we could see and hear him?”
Some would argue that Jesus was limited by his humanity—that Jesus’ human nature prevented him from being at more than one place at a time. They would say that Jesus could preach today in Chicago or heal the sick in Rio de Janeiro, but he cannot do both simultaneously—reigning from heaven allows Jesus to be more present to every place and every person. However, Jesus is not limited in this way by his glorified human nature. Several saints have manifested the gift of bi-location during their lifetimes. Most recently and famously, St. Padre Pio was often at more than one place at the same time. Surely, if Jesus’ saints can possess this power then the Lord Jesus would as well. Furthermore, Jesus demonstrates that his humanity can be more than one place simultaneously through his Real Presence in the Eucharist. Though veiled under the appearances of bread and wine, the entire living person of Jesus (including his body and blood, soul and divinity) is truly present in the Eucharist.
So if Jesus can be physically present in as many places as he wishes, why is he not visibly reigning in millions of places in roles here on earth? For instance, why isn’t Jesus the pastor at every parish church and the bishop in every diocese? One major reason why Jesus rejects this approach is that he wants us to share in his work, his mission, and his glory. Jesus wants you and I to have a part in saving our family and friends and the world. Jesus prayed to his Father at the Last Supper, “As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world,” (John 17:18) and Jesus told his disciples after his resurrection, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21). You and I are sent to do and continue the works that we have seen Jesus do. As Jesus once said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). It is not easy to live as Jesus Christ in the world, but this is our great vocation. For this reason, we must receive the force from on high. Pray for the deeper gifts that the Lord wants to give you through the Holy Spirit, whose coming in power we will celebrate next Sunday.
Hoy, Jesús asciende con su naturaleza humana al cielo. Jesús se sentó a la derecha del Padre. Allí Jesús disfruta del mayor honor y la intimidad con su Padre y él reina e intercede por nosotros desde el cielo. Sin embargo, me pregunto en esta fiesta de la Ascensión: “¿Por qué Jesús no permanecen visiblemente con nosotros, aquí en la tierra? ¿Por qué no quedarse aquí como nuestro rey para que nosotros pudiéramos verlo y escucharlo?”
Algunos podrían argumentar que Jesús estaba limitado por su humanidad-que la naturaleza humana de Jesús no poder estar en más de un lugar al mismo tiempo. Dirían que Jesús pudo predicar hoy en Chicago o curar a los enfermos en Río de Janeiro, pero lo no puede hacer ambas cosas al mismo tiempo—reinante desde el cielo permite que Jesús sea más presente a todo lugar y persona. Sin embargo, Jesús no se limita de esta manera por su naturaleza humana glorificada. Varios santos han manifestado el don de la bilocación durante sus vidas. Más recientemente y famosamente, San Padre Pio fue visto a menudo en más de un lugar al mismo tiempo. Seguramente, si los santos de Jesús pueden poseer este poder, entonces el Señor Jesús lo haría también. De hecho, Jesús demuestra que su humanidad puede haber más de un lugar al mismo tiempo a través de su presencia real en la Eucaristía. Aunque velado bajo las especies del pan y del vino, toda de la persona viva de Jesús (incluyendo su cuerpo y sangre, alma y divinidad) está realmente presente en la Eucaristía.
Si Jesús puede estar presente físicamente en tantos lugares como él desea, ¿por qué Jesús no reinando visiblemente en millones de funciones aquí en la tierra? Por ejemplo, ¿por qué Jesús no es el pastor en cada parroquia y el obispo en cada diócesis? Una gran razón Jesús rechazado este método es que él quiere que compartamos en su trabajo, su misión y su gloria. Jesús quiere que ustedes y yo tener una parte en salvando a nuestras familias, y nuestros amigos, y nuestro mundo. Jesús oró a su Padre en la Última Cena: “Como tú me enviaste al mundo, yo los envío también al mundo,” (Juan 17:18) y Jesús dijo a sus discípulos después de su resurrección: “Como el Padre me envió a mí, así yo los envío a ustedes,” (Juan 20:21). Ustedes y yo estamos envió a hacer y continuar los trabajos que hemos visto hacer a Jesús. Como Jesús dijo una vez: “Ciertamente les aseguro que el que cree en mí las obras que yo hago también él las hará, y aun las hará mayores, porque yo vuelvo al Padre,” (Juan 14:12). No es fácil vivir como Jesús Cristo en el mundo, pero este es nuestro gran vocación. Por esta razón, debemos recibir la fuerza de lo alto. Ore por los dones más profundos que el Señor Jesús quiere darte a través delEspíritu Santo, cuya venida en el poder vamos a celebrar el próximo domingo.
Parishable Items 