The Tough Love of God

The love of God is unfathomable. The bible gives us a picture of God. In the Old Testament, God appears to be a God of wrath, but in Truth, God is only being Just. If God is to be true to Himself, His Justice must reign beside His Mercy. A good parent disciplines their children. So, too, God the Father disciplines us when we have done wrong. The Love of God for us is tough love that combines justice and mercy.

The readings this week tell us of the Love and Justice of God. We shall be judged for what we do. But justice cannot forsake mercy because just as mercy without justice is anarchy, justice without mercy is tyranny. The readings also reveal Jesus' Mercy as Light of the World.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God. ~ John 3:16-21

Often, you will see people wearing t-shirts that have the John 3:16 scripture reading. The Father's only Son, who comes into the world, IS the Light of the World. I love the image of light. It reminds me of the song

I Want to Walk As a Child of the Light

refrain:

In Him there is no darkness at all

The night and the day are both alike

The Lamb is the Light of the city of God

Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus

verses:

I want to walk as a child of the Light

I want to follow Jesus

God set the stars to give light to the world

The star of my life is Jesus

I want to see the brightness of God

I want to look at Jesus

Clear sun of righteousness shine on my path,

And show me the way to the Father.

I'm looking for the coming of Christ.

I want to be with Jesus.

When we have run with patience the race,

We shall know the joy of Jesus.

As the song says, it is His righteousness that shines like the sun on our path. Our evil deeds are exposed by Him Who is Light. But also, Jesus, by returning to the Father, has given us the Spirit, Who is our guide, our Counselor. This same Spirit, He says, will convince or convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. 

I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. ~ John 16:7-11

 
But what does this mean . . . that the Holy spirit will convince (convict) the world concerning these things? Disbelief in Jesus causes us to live in a very real darkness. So, first of all, the Holy Spirit leads us to a true belief in Jesus, the Son of Righteousness, who is Himself righteous because His Father is righteous. They share the same substance - the same essence. But secondly, Jesus came not for the righteous; the Word became flesh for sinners - to MAKE them righteous. And because He was faithful to the Father, Jesus returned to the Father. So He gave us the Spirit to show us the way of righteousness that takes us to Himself and to the Father. Thirdly, the Holy Spirit also convicts us when we do what is evil. The Light of Christ shines through the Holy Spirit on evil deeds and exposes them for what they are. They are of the earth and the wrath of God rests on on them. 

He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; he who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony; he who receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for it is not by measure that he gives the Spirit; the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.~ John 3:31-36 

So let us believe and because we believe, let us do what is good so that the Light of Christ shall rest upon us through His Spirit and we may be made righteous. Then Jesus will be the Light in our darkness, revealing to us what is of this world and what is of God. 

Shine, Jesus, Shine!

by Cliff Richard

Lord the Light or Your Love is shining,
In the midst of the darkness shining,
Jesus light of the world shine upon us,
Set us free by the truth You now bring us,
Shine on me. Shine on me.

Shine Jesus shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit blaze,
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth Your word
Lord and let there be light.

Lord I come to Your awesome presence,
From the shadows into Your radiance,
By the blood I may enter Your brightness,
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness,
Shine on me. Shine on me.

As we gaze on Your kindly brightness.
So our faces display Your likeness.
Ever changing from glory to glory,
Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story.
Shine on me. Shine on me.

Water from the Side of the Temple

I woke up this morning singing a hymn we sang at Mass yesterday during the asperges or sprinkling rite that reminds us of our Baptism. The priest and deacon walk down the aisles of the church and dipping the aspergillum into the bucket filled with holy water, they use it to sprinkle the people as they pass by. The hymn is:

I Saw Water Flowing

by Bob Hurd

refrain:
I saw water flowing

Flowing from the side of the temple

And where the water flowed

There was new life.

verses:
When Your hour had come and they pierced You, Lord,
Blood and water flowed forth from Your side.
With great love You gave Yourself for us!
Who can tell the great love by which You brought Your Church to birth!


Come to Christ the Lord, the living stone,
Rejected once but now the corner stone. 
Joined to Him, we are God's dwelling place,
Priestly people and instruments of God's redeeming grace.


Not to us, O Lord, but to  You all praise
For apart from You we build in vain
Help us live this holy mystery
"It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!"


May this house of prayer be a home to all.
May the love of Christ reigh within these walls,
So the ones who knock find welcome here
And all those who are thirsting receive living water here.


May this church embody Your presence, Lord:
Help for the oppressed, Good News for the poor.
Use our hands to build your reign of peace;
Give us vision to fashion a more just society.

The lyrics of the refrain are based on Ezekiel 47 where a vision of water flowing from the side of the temple is described.

"Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east); and the water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me round on the outside to the outer gate, that faces toward the east; and the water was coming out on the south side. Going on eastward with a line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water; and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water; and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water; and it was up to the loins. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. And he said to me, 'Son of man, have you seen this?' Then he led me back along the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw upon the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said to me, 'This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the stagnant waters of the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes every living creature which swarms will live, and there will be very many fish; for this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.'" Ezekiel 47:1-9

This passage predicts Jesus as the temple. Remember that when Jesus threw the money-changers out of the temple, he predicted His own resurrection from the dead, referring to His body as the temple.

"In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, 'Take these things away; you shall not make my Father's house a house of trade.' His disciples remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for thy house will consume me.' The Jews then said to him, 'What sign have you to show us for doing this?' Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' The Jews then said, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?' But he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken." ~ John 2:14-22

The waters that flow from the side of Jesus  - when, after His death on the cross, the soldier pierced His heart with a lance - are the waters flowing from the temple.

"Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water." ~ John 18:30-34

So, how does all this relate to today's Gospel? 

"Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.' Jesus answered him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus said to him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?' Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born anew." The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit.'" ~ John 3:1-8

Nicodemus takes Jesus literally but Jesus is speaking of a baptism with water and the Spirit that shall come after His death. The water that flows from the side of Christ when His Sacred Heart is pierced with the lance is symbolic of the waters of Baptism  that we are reminded of during the sprinkling rite. 

The word baptize comes from the Greek word baptizein meaning to "plunge" or "immerse". Through Baptism, we are plunged or immersed into Jesus' death.

"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." ~ Romans 6:3-5

Baptism confers on us new life and the Holy Spirit. The catechism tells us in 1225,

In his Passover Christ opened to all men the fountain of Baptism. He had already spoken of his Passion, which he was about to suffer in Jerusalem, as a "Baptism" with which he had to be baptized. The blood and water that flowed from the pierced side of the crucified Jesus are types of Baptism and the Eucharist, the sacraments of new life. From then on, it is possible "to be born of water and the Spirit" in order to enter the Kingdom of God.

It is no longer us who lives, but Christ Who lives in us. The waters continue to flow through us in those things we say and do that build up the Kingdom of God. We become the ones to give the living waters to those who thirst, continuing to carry out the mission of Christ through the Church:

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, the LORD has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; ..." ~ Isaiah 61:1-3

So let us remember during the sprinkling rite that Jesus is the temple from which the waters of Baptism flow. It is our reminder that we have been born of water and the Spirit to a new life in Christ. We are no longer slaves to sin. St Paul tells us that, instead, we have become slaves of God. "...the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:15-23)

Photo credit: from the Mel Gibson film "Passion of the Christ" starring James Caviezel

Truth As Mercy

Yesterday was Divine Mercy Sunday in the Catholic Church. What a beautiful devotion this is to the Mercy of God!

In Sunday's gospel reading, we find the story of doubting Thomas. In God's Mercy, He allowed Thomas the apostle to doubt what the other disciples said so that by seeing, we may also come to faith in the Risen Lord.

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name." ~ John 20:19-31

We must believe whole-heartedly with the same new found faith of Thomas. It is a faith based on Truth - a Truth that brings us freedom. But when freedom becomes the all in all, our own moral judgment has no guide and we are lost. Pope John Paul II says it this way in his encyclical "Splendor of Truth",

"Certain currents of modern thought have gone so far as to exalt freedom to such an extent that it becomes an absolute, which would then be the source of values . . .But in this way the inescapable claims of truth disappear, yielding their place to a criterion of sincerity, authenticity and 'being at peace with oneself', so much so that some have come to adopt a radically subjectivistic conception of moral judgment."

Pope Benedict XVI puts it more simply,

"We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one’s own ego and desires." ~ Pope Benedict XVI

Right now, we are living in a world torn asunder by the tyranny of relativism. It's. o.k. I'm o.k. You're o.k. Everything is o.k. Freedom has become license and truth, the moral compass, is lost. We must pray for God's Mercy now more than ever.

We did not get her over night. It will be hard work to return to the freedom to choose - not what we want - but what is right and good. Relativism has for a long time been marketed as freedom but it is only an old form of slavery - the license to do as you wish. Only the Truth will truly set us free. The Truth is: God is supreme and has revealed Himself completely in His Son Who has risen from the dead. "My Lord and my God!" Thomas says. Let this also be our Declaration of Independence.

For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!