pause for thought_ making timend god - o'collins, gerald, sj.pdf

8/10/2019 Pause for Thought_ Making Timend God - O'Collins, Gerald, SJ.pdf

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Pause for Thought

Making Time for Prayer, Jesus, and God

Gerald OCollins, SJ

Paulist Press

New York / Mahwah, NJ


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Scripture quotations contained herein

are either from the authors own

ranslations from the original Greek, or

are from the New Revised StandardVersion: Catholic Edition Copyright

1989 and 1993, by the Division of

Christian Education of the National

Council of the Churches of Christ in the

United States of America. Used by

permission. All rights reserved.

Cover and book design by Lynn ElseCopyright 2011 by Gerald OCollins,

SJ

All rights reserved. No part of this bookmay be reproduced or transmitted in any

form or by any means, electronic or

mechanical, including photocopying,


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recording, or by any information storage

and retrieval system without permission

n writing from the Publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-

Publication Data

OCollins, Gerald.

Pause for thought : making time forprayer, Jesus, and God / Gerald

OCollins.

p. cm.ncludes index.

SBN 978-0-0000-0000-0

1. Jesus ChristBiblical teaching. 2.PrayerBiblical teaching. 3. God

Christianity)Biblical teaching. 4.

Catholic ChurchDoctrines. I. Title.


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BT203.O36 2011

232.8dc22

2011000906Published by Paulist Press

997 Macarthur Boulevard

Mahwah, New Jersey 07430www.paulistpress.com
http://www.paulistpress.com/


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Contents

Preface

Part One: Prayer1. Six Images ofPrayer

2. Prayer as Being Questioned

3. The Case Against Prayer4. Two Texts for Prayer

5. Two Poems of the Passion

Part Two: The Coming and Mission ofJesus

1. The Annunciation

2. In Praise of Christmas Cards3. Kissed into Life

4. The Face of the Christ Child

5. The Greatest Love Story


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6. What Was Jesus Like?

7. Crazy About Jesus

8. The Miracle of Growth9. Jesus and the Call to Love

10. The Healing of Two Women (Matt

9:1826)

11. Comforts and Challenges (Luke

14:1214)

12. Abiding in Me

13. Eating This Bread and Drinking

This Cup

14. The Transfiguration of Jesus (Mark

9:28)

15. Bartimaeus Follows Jesus on the

Way

16. A Scandalous Life and Death


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Part Three: The Suffering and Death of

Jesus

1. The Passion of Jesus According to

Mark

2. The Passion and Death of Jesus

3. The Passion of Jesus According to

Matthew and Luke

4. Holy Thursday According to John

5. Judas Iscariot

6. Judas, Jesus, and Peter

7. The Veil of Veronica

8. Holy Saturday

Part Four: The Resurrection and Risen

Life of Jesus

1. The Resurrection According to

Matthew


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Preface

This book is designed for those wh

face full programs at home and at wor

but still want to pause regularly t

reflect upon the deeper realities of life

Even if their daily diaries allow only

few minutes for quietly pondering threal agenda of human existence, the

know that prayerfully thinking of Jesu

and God will bring into focus the thing

hat really matter. Without such afrequent pause for thought, their live

will lack spiritual depth.

This book groups the chapters intfive parts:

1. Prayer

2. The Coming and Mission of Jesus


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3. The Suffering and Death of Jesus

4. The Resurrection of Jesus and hi

Risen Life

5. Our God

Each chapter stands by itself and doe

not presuppose what comes before o

follows. Readers can pick and chooseaking up the chapters in the order the

wish. Some chapters are quite short

others much longer. That difference masuit some readers, who on given day

have less or more time for this book.

However they tackle what I hav

written, I will be more than grateful ihis book helps readers to engage eac

day in some brief, spiritual reflectio

and prayer.


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1

Six Images of Prayer

How can we settle down quietly intprayer? What images might help u

engage more easily in prayer and do s

on a regular basis? Let me suggest si

mages that might let us quietly settlnto prayer.

Prayer as Going into Deep Silence

Prayer means letting ourselves go int

deep silence in the presence of God

Here one of my favorite comparison

comes from those who have aenthusiasm for bird-watching. Over th

ears I have enjoyed the friendship o

wo men, one a journalist and the othe


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an academic, who were both dedicate

bird-watchers. They thought nothing o

rising in the early hours of the mornin

and heading out into the countryside tconceal themselves in a swampy field o

up to their waists in a pond. The

endured the cold and put up with cramp

n their legs, as they spent hours intentl

ooking through their field glasses. The

knew that they needed to keep very stil

and quietall eyes and ears, one mighsay. When light gradually came into th

sky, they would hear and catch sight o

many birds and perhaps even spot som

species they had never seen before. Thereasured bird-watching so much tha

hey found it very worthwhile to spen

hours of their time concealin


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hemselves in marshes and putting u

with considerable discomfort for hour

on end.

Prayer involves letting ourselve

become all eyes and ears, as we wai

very quietly for light to dawn and God t

come through to us. In prayer we becomall eyes and ears, because we want to b

helped to see something of God and hea

some word from God, perhaps eve

something surprisingly new anunexpected. Being very still and ver

quiet like a dedicated bird-watche

pictures one characteristic posture fo

prayer.

One might vary the image by turnin

from the habits of bird-watchers to th

peace and silence that every now an


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hen we experience in two people wh

have enjoyed years of loving friendship

especially two older people who hav

spent many years together as husbanand wife. Such a devoted, elderly coupl

may say or do very little, and are simpl

happy to stay for hours in each other

companysilently present to on

another.

Whatever way we want to fill out th

mage, prayer should help us to bpeacefully there in Gods company

Prayer leads us to spend our tim

silently attentive to the presence of th

One who loves us so much and wants t

communicate light and life to us.

Prayer as Looking


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Gazing steadfastly at something o

someone is a second, related image o

how prayer can take place. When we ar

out-of-doors enjoying a visit to a lovelforest or garden, we might allow

ourselves to look at some particular tree

shrub, or bush of vivid roses. This is

well tried method for focusing ou

spiritual feelings and thoughts so tha

hey too will grow and flower. From

created beauty and life we can lift ougaze gently to the uncreated beauty an

ife of God.

When they remain indoors in a church

chapel, or room for prayer, many peopl

et their gaze rest on an icon, a crucifix

a flickering sanctuary lamp, a statue,

picture, or the tabernacle where th


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Blessed Sacrament is reserved. Suc

peaceful, steady looking lets praye

emerge and flourish.

The image of prayer as steady lookin

can appeal to the example of John

Gospel. It opens by announcing that th

Word became flesh and dwelt amongsus, and we contemplated his glory

1:14). This Gospel forms one lon

contemplative gazing at the incarnat

Son of God that reaches a climax wheThomas looks at the risen One an

declares: My Lord, and my God

20:28). Contemplation by th

community (we) at the beginning an

by an individual (Thomas) at the en

brackets the whole story, and invite

attentive readers in their turn to gaze i


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prayer at the incarnate and risen Christ.

Such contemplative looking at Jesu

feeds off the titles that recur in the page

of this Gospel. Gazing at Jesus, we ca

simply and quietly say: You are the

Light of the world. You are the Lamb o

God. You are the Bread of Life. You arehe Resurrection and the Life. You are

he Way, the Truth and the Life. You are

my Lord and my God.

We might even imagine how certainpersons pictured in Johns Gospel a

being very close to him gazed steadily a

Jesus during his lifetime. We could joinhe beloved disciple in looking wit

ove at Jesus. Or we could gaze at hi

with the eyes of that family of Bethany t

whom he was bound by deep love


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Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus

We might even think of joining th

Mother of Jesus when she looked at hi

during the marriage feast at Cana oduring the hours that he hung dying on th

cross.

If it seems presumptuous and evedaunting to join close friends of Jesus i

ooking at him, we might turn to a

anonymous group of Gentiles who ha

arrived in Jerusalem to worship at thPassover festival. They approach Phili

and say to him: Sir, we would like to

see Jesus (John 12:2021). Thei

request readily turns into our prayer

Jesus, I want to see you. I want to se

ou today and all the days of my life.

want to see you and come to you wit


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faith. I want to look at you with steadfas

ove and lasting devotion.

Prayer as Talking to God andOurselves

Over the centuries prayer has often bee

described as being a heart-to-hearconversation with the God whom w

ove. We may carry on that conversation

n our own words or in words that com

from the psalms: Protect me, O Godfor in you I take refuge. O Lord, you ar

my rock, my fortress, my deliverer. O

Lord, how great you are. How great i

our name in all the earth. O God, bgracious to me, and heal me.

Or else our talking in prayer may tak

he form of talking to Jesus himself


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Many people take up and repeat as

kind of mantra a prayer that earl

Christians used in Aramaic and Greek

Maranatha: come, Lord Jesus (1 Co16: 22; Rev 22: 20). The Jesus Prayer

practiced by Eastern Christians als

nvolves a heart-to-heart speaking t

Jesus. They repeat over and over again

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy o

me. Or, more briefly, Jesus, have

mercy on me.Here all kinds of variations come int

use: Jesus, my love, have mercy on me

Jesus, you are my love. A traditiona

refrain ran: Jesus is Lord; Jesus i

King; Jesus is our everything. We can

make these words deeply personal

Jesus, you are my Lord; Jesus, you ar


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my King; Jesus, you are my everything.

Such heart-to-heart conversation ca

well include talking gently to ourselves

ike a mother talking to a restless

depressed child. This is a practice a

old as the psalms. So often the psalmist

speak to themselves: Praise the Lordmy soul. Or else they questio

hemselves: O my soul, why are yo

downcast?

Prayer as Depth Experience

Prayer involves deeply experiencin

God and ourselves. Without prayer w

will never truly know ourselves an

know God. Through praying we div

deep to discover the hidden depths o

God but also the hidden depths o


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ourselveswhat 1 Peter 3:4 calls th

hidden person of the heart. Prayer take

us down into the heart of things, th

deepest center of our existence. It letdistracting things drop away, purifyin

us and making us grow in understandin

ourselves and God.

We might picture this depth

experience as starting on the surface o

bubbling, seething mudflats. Prayer take

us below all that dirt and confusionright down to deep springs of wate

below. At that depth everything i

quietly flowing and crystal clear.

St. Augustine classically expressed

his image of prayer: Lord, that I migh

know myself, that I might know thee!

As we might say, Lord that I might go


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down into the depths of myself, that

might go down into the hidden depths o

our life and your love.

Prayer as Putting Our Heads into Ou

Hearts

Occasionally people admit: When I tro pray, nothing happens. My mind goe

blank. But, more often, the problem i

hat too much happens. Too many idea

flood into our heads. Or, to vary thmage, our minds go racing off in al

directions. Or, even more frequently, too

many feelings flood into our minds an

fill our heads with babble.

When we try to pray, all kinds of fear

and worries can overwhelm us

Seemingly they rob us of our freedom t


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pray and even leave us feelin

paralyzed. Or else we may fin

ourselves slipping away into daydream

about something to which we arattached and which we very much wan

o have and hang onto.

At other times what gets in the way oprayer are all kinds of resentments tha

boil up. Instead of praying, we fin

ourselves fighting old battles over an

over again in our heads. Our mind cabe filled with angry voices. Instead o

praying, we hear ourselves shouting a

others in our heads.

Years ago, when I was on retreat and

already several days into silence an

prayer, a group from Alcoholic

Anonymous arrived at the same retrea


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house for a two-day spiritual course

Everywhere around the building th

management put urns of coffee for them

and from six in the morning through tmidnight they consumed prodigiou

amounts of coffee. These members o

AA themselves pinned up on the board

various key sayings from those who ha

created their organization. The one tha

struck me most declared: Resentment i

he number one killer. Its a luxury wecannot afford.

Yes, resentment is a luxury none of u

can afford. In particular, it can prove

number one killer in our life of prayer. I

akes over what happens in our head

and stops us facing and finding God i

our hearts.


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In such situations a very simpl

response may be best. We can quietly

breathe in and out, as we say Jesus.

His holy name can banish the innedemons of resentment. No matter how

much we feel ourselves to be unde

attack from angry thoughts, Jesus is ther

o calm our heads and take us peacefull

nto our hearts. His name can alway

work its magic and put our busy head

nto the peace of our hearts.

Prayer as Being Delivered from False

Images

Life-giving prayer can take place onlbetween the real God and the real sel

Prayer delivers us from false images o

ourselves and false images of God. Thi


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s a sixth and last way of viewin

prayer.

God wants to save the real me, no

some imaginary or false me that

might present in prayer. We need to

bring our real selves to prayer, thos

selves that experience all the deep joyssharp pains, and nagging worries tha

make up the actual situation of our dail

ives.

Facing our real selves involvedropping false images of God, a Go

whom we would prefer to make in ou

mage and likeness. All too easily wcan create for ourselves a false image o

God as severe, demanding, and out t

get us, or else an image of God a

softly liberal and ready t


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accommodate conveniently any of ou

whims. Prayer should open us up to Go

as God is, the God who may wish t

upset our values and lead us in ways thawe would prefer not to go.

We can make idols of our career, ou

beauty, our health, and our status insociety. We can also do worse and

fashion false images of God. Genuin

prayer means facing the real me in th

presence of the real God, as the tacollector did (Luke 18:914). Unlike th

Pharisee in that parable, the sinful ta

collector presented his real person, fac

o face with the real God.

Such then are six images of prayer: a

going into deep silence, as stead

ooking, as talking to God and ourselves


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as depth experience, as putting our head

nto our hearts, and as being delivere

from false images. Our preferred imag

of prayer may be one of these six, or wmay find that the image we experienc

may vary from one of these images t

another. What matters is that we do pra

regularly and fruitfully every day o

our life. If my account of these image

helps any readers to settle down in suc

prayer, I will be more than grateful.


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2

Prayer as Being Questioned

n films, in novels and, for that matter, ireal life, the first words we hear fro

someone can be tremendously importan

even decisive. In works of fiction

someones first words can give us aexcellent clue as to what that characte

s like and what he or she is going to do

n real life, the first words we hear fro

someone may create a lasting friendship

even from the very start.

When we read the four Gospels, it i

fascinating to notice the first wordcoming from Jesus himself. In th

Gospel of John, for example, the openin

words from Jesus take the form of


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question. Andrew and a friend are struc

by what John the Baptist says abou

Jesus (Look, here is the Lamb o

God!) and start walking along behinJesus. He turns around, sees the

following, and asks: What are yo

ooking for? (John 1:3638).

At one level the question Jesus puts i

straightforward: What are you after

What is your purpose in trailing alon

after me? But his question hints at possible, deeper meaning: What ar

ou looking for in life? Without forcin

himself on the two men, Jesus confront

and gently challenges their mos

fundamental aspirations and intentions. I

s an extraordinary way of initiatin

Andrew and his companion for what i


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going to become a deep and lifelon

relationship with Jesus.

Jesus calls the two men into question

ust as he will call us into questio

whenever we spend time with him i

prayer. A heart-to-heart conversation

with Jesus will, sooner or later, bring uphe questions: What am I looking for

What have I set my heart on? What do

finally hope to find and to do with m

ife?In Johns Gospel Jesus continues to

ask many deep and even disturbin

questions. A prayerful reading of thaGospel invites us to stop at the question

of Jesus and really let them sink in. If w

do that, we will find in prayer the wor

Jesus addresses to us taking the shape o


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searching questions.

At the end of chapter 6 of John, man

people are giving up on Jesus, and h

says a little sadly to the core group o

his disciples: Will you also go away?

6:67). Now, there is more than one wa

of our leaving Jesus, just as there armany ways of not staying with him fully

We can stay with Jesus in a halfhearted

way that is not truly living his life. We

have not gone away from him, yet we dnot fully belong to him. We remain nea

him rather than withhim. We need a lo

of honesty in our prayer if we are to tak

ime over that question from Jesus

Will you also go away?

There are many other questions aske

by Jesus in the Gospel of John. W


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could spend a lifetime hearing them an

praying over themright through to tha

awesomely direct question Jesus put

hree times to Peter in the last chapterDo you love me? (21:1517). Jesu

does not ask Peter: Have you a goo

plan for organizing the missionar

campaign of the Church? Do you thin

hat you have the qualities to lead tha

campaign successfully? Instead, lovin

friendship is all that Jesus wants froPeter or from any of us.

All the questions Jesus puts to us i

prayer and in life finally come down t

hat one, searching question: Do yo

ove me? At the end, he questions u

only about our love. Please, dea

readers, give that love a chance b


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etting Jesus put that question to you i

our prayer.


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3

The Case Against Prayer

One can construct an impressive casagainst prayer, or at least agains

personal prayer practiced outside th

context of community worship. Would

we not be better advised giving ouspare time directly to others? Surely w

are reaching out to God and in rea

contact with God when we wor

generously for others?

In his picture of the Last Judgmen

Jesus called on his followers to show

hospitality toward strangers, to feed thhungry, and in other ways to help thos

who are in distress and need our help

Jesus did notsay: I was hungry and yo


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prayed for me. I was a stranger and yo

added my name to your list of petition

at the end of your morning period o

mental prayer. Jesus wanted hidisciples to be involved with those wh

are in desperate need and who rely on u

o come to their assistance. Surely if w

are involved with such people, we ar

nvolved with God?

As a popular hymn expects, The

shall know that we are Christians by ouove. This refrain does not claim

They shall know that we are Christian

by our prayer. In any case some peopl

who pray and maybe pray a good dea

may seem less than attractive an

sometimes even downright disagreeabl

persons. What good has prayer done t


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hem? And, for that matter, what good

does prayer do to us?

When filling out our case agains

prayer, we might also claim that there i

a certain sense of unreality when we la

down for ourselves a daily schedule fo

prayer. Praying at fixed times and infixed places runs counter to the natura

rhythms and spontaneity of life. We

dont prescribe a heart-to-hear

conversation with someone evermorning at 6.30. We arrange busines

nterviews and working breakfasts o

hat basis. But prayer is meant to be

heart-to-heart conversation with God

not a business interview. Can w

legislate conditions and terms fo

prayer?


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Prayer as Indispensable

And yet a case against prayer will no

rouse too much enthusiasm among th

followers of Jesus. Prayer is not a

accessory, not even a valuabl

accessory, to Christian lifesomethin

added on to make a better Christian ouof a good one. Right from the New

Testament times, a follower of Jesus ha

been understood to be someone wh

gives regular time to prayer. The verfirst Christian letter that has survive

nsists: pray continually. Give thank

whatever happens; for this is what Go

wills for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thes

5:1718).

TheDidache, probably written abou

AD 90 and so the oldest Christia


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document outside the New Testament

enjoined the regular practice of dail

prayer, along with generous help toward

hose in need.

From the very beginning of th

Churchs history, the life of the baptized

has always disclosed two basic signhat characterize the community the

enter. Their new orientation toward God

expresses itself in the practice o

worship and prayer (a vertical sign) ann loving service toward other huma

beings (a horizontal sign). To the exten

hat either the vertical or the horizonta

sign is missing in the life of Christians

heir discipleship remains retarded.

In particular, the neglect of praye

will bring a power failure in the lif


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prayer, he was overwhelmed with suc

horror and anguish that the Christia

radition named the episode the agon

n the garden (Mark 14:3236).

All Is Gift

Among the other blessings that it bringsregular prayer reminds us tha

Christianity is not a do-it-yourself

religion. The divine grace is the one an

only thing that really matters. The gifts oGod, and not mere human achievements

make our lives successful. As St

Augustine of Hippo insisted, when Go

crowns our merits, he does nothing elsbut crown his gifts.

Setting aside regular times for dail

prayer may cut into busy, eve


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overburdened, timetables. But havin

such fixed times recalls the basic truth o

our existence: we are alway

openhanded before Godas those whreceive everything and own nothing

Daily prayer will encourage us to be ful

of wonder and radically grateful for al

hat the infinitely loving God does for u

and gives us day by day.

Georges Bernanos closed his classi

iary of a Country Curate with thwords of a young priest who is dying o

cancer: All is gift. In a 197

conference for the alumni of Gues

House, a center that cares for alcoholi

priests, religious, and bishops, Fathe

Philip Donnelly ended a remarkabl

address with these words: We can sum


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up everything by saying that what w

have learned at Guest House is this: tha

n all of our limitations, in all of ou

mperfections and sinfulness and sinswe have learned what I hope is th

undying lesson for each of usthat onl

n Christ are we great. Prayer will kee

alive that conviction: it is through th

crucified and risen Jesus that God offer

all of us the true gift of greatness.

Results of Prayer

What impact does prayer have o

believers, collectively and individually

have long cherished two answers thacame to me in the 1970s. First, in a

article for Commonweal on the new

order of Mass and the future of th


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iturgy (March 27, 1970), Father Gerar

Sloyan may have shown himself undul

pessimistic and even depressed. But hi

opening statement compelled assentUnless the general quality of liturgica

celebration improves, nothin

noteworthy can be hoped for. Ultimatel

t is not a question of whether liturgie

shall be fixed or fluid, but of th

rayerful character which underlie

hem or is absent from them (italicmine). How else will those who presid

and those who participate in liturg

grow in such a prayerful character

except through the regular practice opersonal prayer? Without their bein

personally changed by their dail

program of time spent with the Lord


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hose who lead and share in any liturg

will not be able to develop any liturgica

celebrations with a truly prayerfu

character. As a classic Latin adage putt, No one gives what he or she doesn

have (nemo dat quod non habet).

The second answer about the impacof prayer turned up a few years later i

Rome. A friend, who had spent a good

deal of time in Italy working on he

doctoral dissertation before becoming professor of fine arts in Australia

returned to Rome on a working visit

Have you noticed anything differen

since you were here last time? I aske

her. Well, yes, someone has changed

profoundly, she told me. In the pensio

where I stayed several years ago ther


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was a girl who seemed quite lost. Thi

ime round I found her to be so muc

happier and didnt know why until

knocked on her door one morning. Shwas sitting there with the Gospels ope

n front of her.

That experience made me think of onor two friends who had assured me

Some of those who pray are less tha

attractive, even downrigh

disagreeable. I wanted to go back these friends and ask: Can you reall

show me some cases of men or wome

who pray regularly and remain unhapp

or even cantankerous?

The Practice of Prayer

With prayer it is the practice, not th


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heory, that counts. There was a point to

a complaint I read in May 1969: Very

often more time is spent talking abou

prayer than in praying. As is the case oso many other religious values

discussion of the value has become

substitute for the value itself (J. R

Sheets,Review for Religious). Tha

same month another writer put the sam

point more succinctly: Prayer is more

matter of practice and less a subject foheorizing than any other subjec

conceivable (Herde

Correspondence).

As a value and a practice, prayer i

ndispensable. Nowhere do we read i

either the Old or the New Testament tha

someone was prompted by God to inven


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prayer. Prophets, Jesus himself, and

some of the leaders in the emergin

Church introduced new things that shap

forever our relationship with God. Thnstitution of the Eucharist at the Las

Supper offers a spectacular example o

such religious inventions o

additions. Prayer, however, is not lik

hat. In both the Old and New Testamen

t is simply taken for granted that huma

beings pray and should pray. Thndispensable value of prayer wa

understood to justify itself in practice.

Three RecommendationsLet me conclude by making thre

recommendations. First, we need som

definite timetable for our daily prayer


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but study is harder, and prayer th

hardest of all. This may not be the bes

of comparisons. Prayer, Teresa of Avila

declared, consists not in thinking mucbut in loving much. During a time o

consolation, that loving much ca

prove delightful, even a time o

extraordinary joy.

Nevertheless, a strange kind o

hardiness can envelop our praying an

our desire to hold ourselves steadily ihe presence of God. At those moment

we might remember something propose

by Jean-Nicholas Grou: it is the imag

of ourselves, waiting quietly like a little

grey donkey for God to help us.


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4

Two Texts for Prayer

After chapters dedicated more to ththeory of prayer, it may be good to

complete part one of this book b

reflecting on particular texts that ca

feed into prayer. Let me take up now twbiblical texts: one from St. Luke and th

other from the Book of Revelation. Th

next chapter will show how two poetica

exts might also feed into prayer.

The Sending of the Seventy-two

The Gospel of Luke is full of treasuresmarvelous passages that are found onl

n that Gospel and that have shape

Christian life, prayer, and imaginatio


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from the beginning. Down through th

ages, the parables of the Good Samarita

10:2937) and the rich man and Lazaru

16:1931) have challenged believers tcome to the aid of the impoverished an

distressed people they meet. Christia

prayer has taken up the wonderfu

prayers with which Luke opens his stor

of Jesus: theMagnificatfrom the Virgi

Mary (1:4655), theBenedictus fro

Zechariah (1:6879) and theNunimittisfrom Simeon (2:2932). Artist

have returned again and again to th

scenes of the Annunciation (1:2638

and the Nativity (2:120).

Another treasure comes in Luke

account of Jesus sending seventy-tw

disciples on a mission to announce th


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kingdom of God (10:120). What is s

special about this story? It turns up in th

Gospel shortly after an episode tha

seems much more important: the sendinon mission of the Twelve 9:16). And

et the sending of the seventy-two is

story with which each of us can an

should identify in prayer and life.

Like Matthew and Mark, Luke report

how Jesus called by name Peter, James

and John and other founding fathers ohe Church and sent them on a tria

mission during his ministry. Thes

welve were a unique group: the

followed Jesus during his lifetime an

became official witnesses to hi

resurrection from the dead. They wer

already the leaders of the smal


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Christian community when the Hol

Spirit came at the first Pentecost

Empowered then by the Spirit, th

welve launched the spread of thChurch.

These twelve apostles stand there a

gigantic figures at the start oChristianity. It is not always easy for u

ater Christians to identify with them. I

some ways they seem, larger than life

ike the large stained-glass windows thadisplay them in some churches or th

huge statues of them that line th

cathedral of Rome, the Basilica of St

John Lateran.

Unlike the twelve apostles, the muc

arger group of seventy-two disciple

sent out by Jesus during his ministr


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seems much closer to us. They went o

mission in pairs, two by two. We do no

know their names and what happened t

hem later after the resurrection of Jesuand the outpouring of the Holy Spiri

Were they all men? Probably not. A few

chapters earlier Luke has mentione

such women as Mary Magdalene

Joanna, and Susanna (Luke 8:13), wh

were close disciples of Jesus an

raveled with him during his ministryThe seventy-two sent on mission coul

well have included some of these femal

disciples, maybe some married couples

We do not know this for sure, but wcertainly cannot exclude the possibility.

What we do learn from Lukes Gospe

s that Jesus gave a larger group of hi


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followers, seventy-two of them,

missionary vocation. What happened t

hem later? Were some of them or even

all of them among the 120 gathered tpray in Jerusalem with Mary the mothe

of Jesus, Peter, and the rest of th

apostles before the coming of the Hol

Spirit (Acts 1:1215)? Presumably som

of the seventy-two became leaders in th

Christian Church after Pentecost. We do

not know the particulars.What we know from Luke is that Jesu

also gave a missionary task to a muc

wider group than the twelve. In praye

we can easily identify imaginativel

with that larger group, rank-and-fil

disciples of the Lord, to whom he gave

riple task: to bring peace wherever the


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examination. Do I bring others the peac

of the Lord wherever I go? Do I care fo

he sick and the needy? Do I spread th

word about the blessings that have comhrough the person and presence of Jesu

Christ?

The New Jerusalem

t could be interesting to run a surve

and ask people what their favorite cit

s. The city they like best might be ParisLondon, or Amsterdam. Or it might b

Boston, New York, Chicago, or San

Francisco. Others might name a city i

Africa, Asia, or Latin America. Somemight name Rome, Florence, or Venice

Most of us seem to have our favorit

city.


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Yet we would probably have to admi

hat there was something wrong with ou

chosen city. Perhaps it is situated on th

banks of a river that is badly pollutedOr perhaps our favorite city lack

sufficient parks and gardens. Or maybe

s run by a corrupt city administration

Or perhaps it suffers from a high crim

rate and the streets are not well lit

Whatever the problems are, no favorit

city is perfect. There are always somdrawbacks.

A passage from the Book o

Revelation 22:17 invites us to imagin

a favorite city with no problems and n

drawbacks. A crystal clear stream, the

river of life, runs down the middle of th

main street. Gardens line the banks o


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he river, with a tree of life on eithe

bank busily bearing crops of fruit eac

month of the year. There are no

problems with city administration anpublic security. Everything is in th

hands of God the Father and his Son

Jesus Christ. Crime does not exist

because the city is full of Gods servant

who joyfully worship their divine Lord

There are no problems with the cit

ighting because it is always daytime anhe sunlight of God streams down on th

nhabitants.

This is the imaginative way in whic

he author of Revelation pictures hi

favorite city, the new Jerusalem, the city

o which we are called home.

In prayer and at other times, we ca


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find ourselves asking, perhaps a littl

anxiously: What will the future brin

me? How will it unfold? Ultimately ou

future is nothing fearful but somethinfull of life. The Lord is calling us hom

o a new city, his favorite city, the new

Jerusalem. He is coming to bring u

home to that marvelous city of the future

We can look forward and with great joy

make our own the prayer with which th

Book of Revelation and the whole Biblends: Come, Lord Jesus.


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5

Two Poems of the Passion

Two anonymous poems (from the lathirteenth and the fourteenth century

respectively), the one subtle and laconi

and the other splendidly direct, can se

he mood for our contemplating thpassion of Jesus.

In the earlier poem the speaker is

Christian who suffers with Mary as shkeeps her lonely vigil at the foot of th

cross.

Now goeth sun under woodM

rueth, Mary, thy faire rode [face].Now goeth sun under treeMe rueth

Mary, thy Son and thee.

Sunset on Good Friday provides th


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setting for this poem. The picture i

drawn with economy and established i

wo stages. The sun is going dow

behind a/the wood, which is thedentified as the tree on which hangs th

crucified Jesus. By repeating Now th

poem evokes the moment when ligh

drains out of the sky. We may shrink

from seeing the light of day go, but w

are powerless before a sunset. Th

passage of the sun suggests the dying anrreversible death of Jesus. Both hi

death and the onset of darkness see

nexorable.

Using a pun on sun (twice) an

Son (once), the speaker grieves (m

rueth) for the suffering of Mary and he

Son. The repetition of Me rueth


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underlines the deep compassion felt b

he speaker. As the sun goes down, he

sees Marys lovely face (thy fair

rode) lit up by the light of the settinsun. He is moved by the pain on her fai

face, and grieves for this lovely lady an

her dead Son.

This taut poem also appears to lin

he descent of the sun with the descent o

Christ from the cross. The sun sink

below the horizon, just as Christ wilsink from the cross into the arms of hi

Mother at the foot of his cross.

In July 2008 a highlight of WorldYouth Day in Sydney, Australia, came

for many people with the Stations of th

Cross that took them through the city t

he crucifixion scene on the shore of th


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harbor. On television millions followed

hat reenactment of the first Goo

Friday. Later many more saw thos

Stations on DVD and heard the musicreadings, and meditations that made the

so religiously powerful.

In that presentation of the Stations ohe Cross, the sun set just as Christ die

and the chill of a winters evenin

arrived. He was taken down from th

cross, with darkness spreading acroshe gentle waves of Sydney harbor. Th

climax of those Stations of the Cross i

2008 proved a remarkable counterpart t

he brief, thirteenth-century poem abou

Mary at the foot of the cross.

Contemporary lyrics of courtly lov

shape the background for our secon


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medieval poem. As it has come down to

us, it has no name. Some rightly sugges

calling the poem Christs Love-Song.

Christ presents himself as the KnightLover, the One who is driven by love fo

each human being: for thee, repeate

four times in the closing stanza. Let u

see the poem and then comment further.

Love me brought,/And love m

wrought,/Man, to be thy fer

[mate].Love me fed/And love me led/An

love me lettet [allows] here.

Love me slew,/And love mdrew,/And love me laid on bier.

Love is my peace;/For love I ches

[chose],/Man to buyen dear.


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No dread thee nought,/I have the

sought,/ Bothen day and night,To haven thee,/Well is me,/I have the

won in fight.

From a formal point of view, th

reader must be struck by the man

monosyllables used in the three stanzasn this lyric that contains only seventy

hree words, some monosyllabic word

recur in a powerful and direct fashion

love (ten times), me (nine times)thee (four times), and I (thre

imes).

The poem opens with God the Fatherwho is personified love or lov

personified. It was the Father wh

wrought the Son and brought him t

become and remain the fere (lovin


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mate) of every human being. As th

poem goes on, the activity and sufferin

of Christ himself becomes clearer

Because of his love he chose to buyedear the human race.

This buying dear should not b

understood to be a commercialransaction that involved a high pric

iterally paid to someone (for instance

he devil) or to something (for instance

some higher law). Rather it was the acof redeeming humankind that cost Chris

he Knight-Lover a great deal. If slain

by love in a mystical, even erotic, sens

he was also quite literally slain becaus

of the situation into which his love ha

ed him. Love involved him in bein

killed and laid on a bier.


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Here the poem permits itself a savag

mage: love me drew. The reader ma

even be expected to think of someon

who has been hung, drawn, anquartered. A less savage sense would be

love killed me and pulled me along th

groundlike the dead Hector bein

dragged around the walls of Troy b

Achilles.

In either case the paradox come

hrough strongly. Although slainseemingly defeated, and laid out fo

burial, the Knight-Lover has in fact won

A eucharistic acclamation puts th

paradox equivalently: Dying, yo

destroyed our death.

The risen Christ speaks and i

satisfied at what his coming into th


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world and then his passion and deat

have won for him: Well is me. H

enderly comforts the reader: there is n

need to give way to feelings of sadnesand dismay (No dread thee nought)

Christ himself is deeply satisfied, and s

oo should be those whom he ha

redeemed.

No longer does he address man (th

first two stanzas) but, in a more persona

way, he speaks four times to thee ihe closing stanza: Both day and night

have sought thee, wanting to have thee

ow well is me because I have wo

hee in the fight.

Obviously too much commentary risk

aking the heart out of these tw

exquisite poems from the Middle Ages


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But if I have opened them up a little fo

readers and helped to evoke som

feelings of grief and joy as they reflec

on the dying and rising of Christ, in mown way I too can say, Well is me.


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Part Two

The Coming and Mission of Jesus


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1

The Annunciation

Our lives are patterned by events thaare graced, hidden, unexpected, an

sometimes decisive. All thes

possibilities emerge from St. Luke

account of the Annunciation (1:2638)hat moment when the human history o

Jesus began.

Treasured by many generations oartists from Beato Angelico down to

Andy Warhol, the story of th

Annunciation has much to contribut

oward renewing our Christian lives. can think of four challenging an

enriching themes to be drawn from th

account in Luke.


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First of all, the Annunciation brough

he offer of a unique, personal favor t

Mary: that she should become the mothe

of the Son of God. This was a marvelougrace for her personally but not a grac

for her alone. The child she woul

conceive and bear was to reign foreve

over Israel and over the whole world

Mary exemplifies supremely how huma

beings, by accepting a remarkable gi

for themselves, receive it also foothers. Through Marys yes, the Son o

God came to save the human race an

he power of the Holy Spir

overshadowed the world.

This principle holds true for each o

us. Whenever we allow ourselves to b

ed by the Holy Spirit into openin


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ourselves to the divine initiatives, we d

his for others and never for ourselve

alone. Gods offers do not come a

privileges for our private selves but alsas public responsibilities. To the degre

hat we are constantly ready to accep

personal favors from God, then throug

us the Son of God will come wit

greater intensity to save human beings

and a greater power of the Holy Spir

will overshadow our race and thworld.

A second theme emerges from th

hidden face of the Annunciation. It is

quiet, even secret event, even mor

unnoticed than the birth of Jesus woul

be. No shepherds, multitude of angels, o

wise men from the East attend the even


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of the Annunciation. Not even St. Josep

s there. The actors are only two

Mary herself and the angel Gabriel.

Yet, as many poets and preacher

have insisted, this hidden act on the par

of Mary in saying yes to the divin

plan was the most decisive action eveperformed by a mere human being. Th

actions of Marys Son would come from

someone who was not only fully huma

but also truly divine. As the act osomeone who was a mere huma

being, Marys let it be done as yo

have said stands uniquely alone

othing will ever surpass or eve

compare with the consequences

nitiated.

This suggests pondering furthe


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something that might already hav

occurred to us when we reflect on ou

own experiences. At times quiet

unnoticed actions can turn out to be mosmportant. Apparently unimpressiv

acts, even totally secret ones, may enjo

a remarkable impact. A sincere decision

o commit ourselves to a program o

regular prayer may take place in th

secrecy of our minds and hearts and pas

otally unnoticed in the outside worldBut its results may be spectacularl

valuable for ourselves and fo

nnumerable others.

Thirdly, many painters have depicted

Mary as praying and quietly reflectin

over the Scripturesengaged in he

ectio divina, if you likeat the momen


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of the Annunciation. Gabriel came on th

scene with dramatic suddenness to brin

an unexpected offer from God. Mar

was invited to make a snap decision. Bushe was not caught wrong-footed. Fro

he time of her own conception and birth

her whole life had been a preparatio

for this meeting. She had never literall

practiced or rehearsed the scene of th

Annunciation. But her holy and faithfu

ife had been a perfect preparation fohis moment.

Dramatic and unexpected moments o

decision can also turn up in our ow

ives. They are those unrehearse

episodes when it may seem that th

whole of our life comes into focus. Fo

good or evil, our decision shows us up


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We cannot practice the precise chance

hat opens up before us. We have no

guarantee and firm security that we wil

react appropriately. Yet, if we faithfullyseek to follow the will of God in all th

ups and downs of life, there is much les

danger that some unexpected moment o

opportunity will find us lacking. Stead

fidelity will enable us to respon

wholeheartedly in the grace of th

moment.Fourthly and finally, the story of th

Annunciation reaches its high point wit

Marys acceptance: I am the Lord

servant. We believe and know tha

Mary did not simply bring herself to sa

yes in one great moment alone. Sh

kept up that yes constantly: from th


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Annunciation, through Bethlehem an

Cana, and on to Calvary and the firs

Pentecost. Her entire existence formed

single, unbreakably faithful and stronpiece. Her yes to God characterize

her whole life before and after th

Annunciation.

In our own lives we may be able t

nerve ourselves to say yes to God a

different moments and take som

decisive step in serving God. But tkeep that decision going through

ifetime is another thing. We must al

hope and pray that the Blessed Virgi

will pray for us sinners, so that

ouch of her loyal fidelity will rub off o

all of us.


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2

In Praise of Christmas Cards

Christmas is the only season of the yeawhen many Christians regularly sen

each other pictures that express thei

faith. Three scenes predominate. Th

mages may depict the Christ Child ihe arms of Mary, the visit of th

shepherds to the manger in Bethlehem

or else the coming of the exotic Mag

with their gifts of gold, frankincense, an

myrrh.

Some Christmas cards reproduc

classical or modern representations ohe Madonna and Child. In this category

works of Renaissance artists lik

Raphael frequently predominate. The


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have excelled themselves at depictin

his most beautiful child, whose beaut

s mirrored by the beauty of his mothe

as she holds him in her arms or gazes ohim with intense love. Or the cards ma

show us the gently contemplativ

doration of the Shepherds b

Giorgione or some other Italian master

These pictures quietly invite the viewe

o join the shepherds in absorbing th

wonderful truth of Christs birth. Or elshe cards bring us an elaborate an

enchantingAdoration of the Magi b

Botticelli or Fra Filippo Lippi. The

show us angels joining a cavalcade ohuman beings in celebrating exuberantl

he human birth of the Son of God.

Those of us who receive many card


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at Christmas put them on mantelpieces i

a sitting room, or cover a kitchen wal

with them, or else string them on cord

along corridors. We check our listcarefully to make sure that the friend

and relatives who have sent us a car

have already received one from us.

However, we might also take a littl

ime to gaze prayerfully at each of th

cards and let the concentrated intensit

of their visual art come alive for usWhat we see in Christmas cards can tak

on a special, even an intense

significance.

Whenever we begin to appreciat

deeply someone or something fo

ourselves, we are often prompted to d

so by what we see, perhaps for the firs


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ime: on a TV screen, in a book, at work

along a street, in our home, in church, o

across a crowded room. What doe

visual art, in particular religious art, do us? Contemplated quietly when see

perhaps for the first time, this art ca

become a window into Christ and

mirrorof ourselves.

Some of the Renaissanc

masterpieces place Christs manger i

beautiful landscapes. But any landscaps only the background to the story o

Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and

he Maginot to mention the angeli

visitors who turn up and put the whol

story into a cosmic setting. Th

masterpieces reproduced on ou

Christmas cards form a window into th


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ntimate and beautiful story of th

coming of the Christ Child and th

response of heaven and earth to his birt

the shorter journey of the locashepherds and the longer journey of th

Magi from the East. Our Christmas card

offer us a window into the life of others

all those who respond with faith an

ove to the Baby lying in the manger o

enfolded by the arms of Mary.

Some of the Christmas paintings opea window onto the spiritual journeys o

believers down through the ages. Artist

over the centuries have introduced int

heir scenes of the nativity late

Christians, both saints and sinners, me

and women dressed in the clothes o

heir times and cultures. These picture


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et us see something of the story of how

Christians of all ages have responded t

he birth of Jesus.

Contemplating the scenes that ou

Christmas cards depict is a two-wa

affair. They are not only windows into

he wider history of faith, but they aralso mirrors that can put embarrassin

questions to us. They invite us to thin

back to Christmas plays at our schools

where we may have taken the role of shepherd, of a king or, if we were reall

ucky, of Joseph, or even of Mar

herself. Does the Christ Child still fil

our hearts with joy? Has Jesus born a

he first Christmas continued to be th

greatest value in our lives, the ver

center of our existence? Yes, Christma


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cards work as windows that show u

who Jesus is. But they also hold u

mirrors of our own story and remind u

of who we are and where we havarrived on the pilgrimage though life.

Spending a little time contemplatin

Christmas cards can easily become self-involving exercise, a meetin

between Jesus and ourselves, and

chance of experiencing something of hi

enchanting beauty. To be sure, manycontemporary Christmas cards do no

supply us with fully deployed an

beautiful pictures from the nativity story

They may carry an uncomplicate

message: A Merry Christmas and

Happy New Year, Peace on Earth, or

merely one word, Peace. Some card


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display symbols like a star, a pair o

angels blowing trumpets, a candle, or

Christmas tree. Yet there can still be a

simple beauty there, provided the lineare well drawn and the letters made wit

elegant loveliness.

Whether they bear classical omodern images, straightforwar

symbols, or merely words, Christma

cards aim to be beautiful. Even ver

ordinary ones let through something ohe lovely Christ Child. We all need to

feel the impact of that beauty. To echo

and adapt some famous words fro

Dostoevsky, it is the beauty of Christ an

only his beauty that will save the world

We are led through his beauty to grasp

he deep truth of his coming and lead th


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ives of goodness and justice that h

desires.

Experience repeatedly shows how th

presence and power of beaut

persistently provide a remedy for th

sense of meaninglessness that plagues s

many lives. Falling in love with sombeautiful person liberates us fro

chaotic wanderings and brings order an

direction to our lives. Beauty illuminate

and transforms. Charles DickensChristmas Carolshows how beauty an

goodness change the hard heart of ol

Scrooge, as well as touching those wh

read the book or see versions of it on th

screen or stage. A truly beautiful story

can deliver us from a self-absorbe

existence and give fresh meaning an


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shape to our own stories.

In their own modest way, Christma

cards open the door to Christ, his beaut

and his uniquely beautiful story. Hi

beauty comes to us as a wonderful gi

from God. The beautiful Christ Chil

nvites us to open ourselves up to himbecome flooded with delight, stay in hi

ovely presence, and let the impact of hi

unparalleled beauty shape our whol

existence now and forever.It is worth taking Christmas card

down from our mantelpieces and kitche

walls to hold them in our hands anquietly let them prompt a heart-to-hear

conversation with Jesus. They can giv

us access to him and a renewed sense o

his unique beauty. When they do that


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Christmas cards will turn out to be th

best of any presents we might receiv

from our dearest friends and relatives.


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3

Kissed into Life

Some years ago at Christmas, a littlcousin of mine was playing the role o

Sleeping Beauty with her grandfather

There she was pretending to be aslee

because, like the princess in the storyshe had pricked her finger on th

poisoned spindle. Her grandfathe

iptoed over to the couch were she wa

ying. He kissed once and then twice

But nothing happened.She did not stir.

I kissed you twice, he said to hi

granddaughter. Without opening heeyes, little Charlotte said: You have to

kiss me three times. Ive pricked m

finger three times on the poisone


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spindle.

We all need to be kissed into life

not just twice or three times, but many

many times. The kiss of love brings us t

ife, and keeps us alive. Without love w

do not really live. When we receiv

ove, we can live and grow and laugh.We have probably all seen how love

can bring people alive. They may hav

gone on for years without receivin

much love, and then someone gives thehe love they so desperately need. Lik

Sleeping Beauty, they can come alive i

a wonderful, new way.We have all pricked our fingers on

various poisoned spindles. We need

ove, Gods limitless love, to wake u


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up and let us live fully and truly. God i

greater than even the best of grandfather

and grandmothers.

As the year draws to a close and th

feast of the nativity comes around, w

might remember little Charlotte and thin

of Christmas differently this cominDecember. Christmas is Gods way o

kissing us and opening our eyes again t

ife.

When my little cousin was playing abeing Sleeping Beauty, her grandfathe

had to kiss her and wake her up. A

Christmas it is the other way round. It ihe baby Jesus himself, Gods lovin

gift, who kisses us and helps us live an

ive in wonderfully new ways. Do let th

Christ Child kiss you this comin


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Christmas.


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4

The Face of the Christ Child

Every human face is thoroughly speciat belongs to that unique individua

Faces live on in our memories an

hearts; a face across a crowded room

may change our lives forever.

Before a baby is born, parents

relatives, and friends long to see it

face. Once it is born, they find so muco interpret and cherish in the tin

features of its face. As the child grow

up, they want to see how its face grow

and subtly changes.Shortly after I began living in Rome i

1974, two young friends, a youn

musical composer and his wife, aske


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In a lovely prayer the psalmist tells o

his heart seeking the face of God: It i

our face, O Lord, that I seek; hide no

our face from me (Ps 27:89)Centuries later a dramatic answer to tha

prayer came when the glory of God

shone on the face of Christ (2 Co

4:6). Christ is the face of God com

amongst us, ormore brieflyth

human face of God.

The opening chapters of the Gospelaccording to Matthew and Luke bring u

a cast of holy people who were seekin

he face of God: above all, Mary an

Joseph. God did not hide his face fro

hem. The Baby they took in their arm

showed them nothing less than the huma

face of God. For that unique couple


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Mary and Joseph, the prayer of th

psalmist came true. They were the firs

human beings to gaze upon the face o

he incarnate Son of God. When his eyeopened and he began to smile upon them

hey knew the first appearance on eart

of the very glory of God.

Matthew and Luke tell us of other

who also looked upon the face of th

Christ Child and found great joy i

experiencing that grace: the shepherdshe wise men from the East, Simeon an

Anna.

They stood in for all of us who waln darkness and live in deep shadows

We too have seen a great light on th

face of the Baby in Marys arms. Tha

child has been born for us and that so


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has been given to us so that his fac

might shine upon us. This child has com

o scatter darkness, to fill all huma

hearts with happiness, and to light ufaces everywhere. His coming was an

remains forever news of very great jo

o be shared by all peoples.

After so many years I remember wha

Chiara Francesca did to people alon

he streets of Rome. She brought me

wonderful truth. Jesus was born so thamen and women might look on his bab

face and smile. We know that this wa

ndeed the human face of our gloriousl

beautiful God.


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would take days, weeks, and actually

whole lifetime. Love proves itself to b

an incredibly rich and many-side

reality. The classic Italian poet DantAlighieri spent his entire life explorin

and portraying lovehuman love an

divine love. We too pass our lifetime

coming to appreciate ever more deepl

what Christs love for us means and

what our love for one another shoul

ruly be.So we face a gigantic theme an

enduring challenge when we read thos

words from St. Johns Gospel,

shall love them and reveal myself t

hem (John 14:21). What does Jesu

mean by loving us and revealing himsel

o us?


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His words recall one central featur

of authentic love: its transparency and it

willingness to share and to share wit

otal honesty. Jesus is totally transparenwith us. He wants to show himself to u

and share his deepest reality with eac

one of us.

Real love is always like that. Tru

overs constantly want to open up, t

show their deep selves, and to share al

he secrets of their hearts with thoswhom they love. True lovers want to b

utterly transparent with each other.

Jesus is our true lover, utterlransparent with us, always wanting t

show himself to us, and to share himsel

with us. We spend our whole life with

Jesus loving us, showing himself to us i


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so many ways, and sharing himself wit

us constantly. To each of us he is alway

saying: I love you and I want to revea

myself to you and to share myself witou.

Long live that great love story, Gon

with the Wind. But the greatest lovstory is the story of Jesus. Both in thi

ife and in the life to come, he is drive

by his love for us. Both here an

hereafter, he wants nothing else than thchance of loving us, showing himself t

us, and sharing himself with us for eve

and ever.


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6

What Was Jesus Like?

How did Jesus come across to thoswho met him in the few, packed years o

his ministry? Certainly not as a kind o

superman who was never weary. H

was remembered as once being so worout that he even fell asleep in a boa

during a storm. He was pictured as bein

so tired from a journey that he sa

exhausted by a well and asked a strange

for a cup of water to drink. None of th

Gospels suggest that miracles supplie

him with superhuman energy, let alonfood and drink. He was very differen

from those people we sometimes mee

who are bursting with energy, neve

betray any weariness, and seem capabl


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of living in a constant frenzy of activity.

Some critics harshly dismissed Jesu

as a glutton and a drunkard, a friend o

ax collectors and sinners (Luke 7:34)

That was a nasty sneer, but all the sam

t expressed something profoundly tru

about Jesus and his habits. For himeating and drinking with others provide

a way of entering into communion wit

all kinds of people, especially thos

with serious, spiritual problems. Thefound him to be a wonderful friend to b

with, someone who never turne

dysfunctional people away and wh

changed their livesoften by takin

meals with them.

Years ago a book about Jesus wa

published with the marvelous title,Jesu


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n Bad Company. Yes, that was where

ou often found him. He looked for th

marginalized and even crimina

members of society. He reached out tosinners and not least to hated ta

collectors, those who collaborated wit

he occupying army and extorte

unreasonable amounts of money out o

ordinary citizens. Jesus welcomed suc

unsavory people, shared meals wit

hem, and did his best to meet theispiritual needs.

Self-righteous people dismissed Jesu

as a party boy, who did not know how

o behave like a proper prophet. Thi

criticism implied, however, somethin

profoundly true. The Old Testamen

prophets and Jesus immediat


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precursor, John the Baptist, all longed to

bring sinners to repent and give up thei

evil ways. But none of them ever tried t

do that, as Jesus did, by sharing tablfellowship with sinful men and women

He stood apart from his propheti

predecessors by turning meals into

means of healing people and forming

asting friendship with them. Thos

meals were to reach their climax on th

night before he died, when he used meal to institute the Eucharist and creat

a sacred eating and drinking as thewa

for transforming lives and establishing

deep communion with sinners for eveand ever.

Jesus shared the central joys of huma

iving. Johns Gospel tells of him takin


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part in a marriage feast and miraculousl

supplying wine when it ran short (Joh

2:111). To be sure, that story carries a

ovely symbolic message. Jesus changehe water used for rites of purificatio

nto the new wine of the final kingdom o

Goda sign that revealed how he wa

replacing the old order with

ransformed world. But let us not forge

he primary thrust of the miracle:

allowed all the guests at the wedding tcontinue their celebration.

No impassive, unemotional figure

Jesus could react angrily at intolerabl

situations. His eyes blazed with anger a

hose who wanted to stop him helping

disabled person (Mark 3:16). He ra

wild in the Temple, when he found


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raders and money changers defiling th

holiness of Gods house. He flung dow

heir tables and drove them there an

hen out of the precincts (Mark 11:1517). Tears came to his eyes over th

failure of Jerusalem to repent and hea

his message of peace (Luke 19:41). H

wept too at the death of his frien

Lazarus (John 11:35).

Jesus was clearly hurt when h

failed to meet the expectations ohose close to him, like Peter (Mar

8:3233) and members of his ow

family and hometown (Mark 3:21; 6:1

6). He had to endure outrageous taunt

over his work in liberating from th

power of Satan those diabolicall

possessed. Some cultured critic


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acknowledged the facts but claimed tha

he could exorcise the possessed becaus

he was in league with the ruler of th

demons (Mark 3:22). He fearedaccording to Johns Gospel, that the cor

group of the Twelve might leave him in

he aftermath of his discourse on th

bread of life: Will you also go away?

John 6:67).

When his violent death drew near

Jesus did not behave like a tough, coohero. In deep distress he pleaded wit

his heavenly Father: All things ar

possible for you. Remove this chalic

from me. He bargained with his Go

before accepting the divine will: no

what I want but what you want (Mar

14:3336).


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In his letters, St. Paul has little to sa

about table fellowship with sinners

miracles, teaching, and further feature

of the public ministry of Jesus; he leavet to others to hand on what th

eyewitnesses had experienced durin

Jesus life. That makes it all the mor

precious when the apostle sums up th

story of Jesus: He did not pleas

himself (Rom 15:3). Putting thi

positively, we could say that Jesus wenout of his way to meet the needs o

others. There was a straight line from th

ministry of Jesus to his death on th

cross: from the beginning to the end, hforgot himself and gave his life away fo

all those he came to serve.

The Gospel of John constantl


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presents Jesus acting with grea

purposefulness. He moved withou

hesitation because he gave total priorit

o the will of his Father. That resolutobedience gave Jesus a sustaine

strength and made his life unbreakabl

strong. The serene pursuit of the divin

will was the secret at the heart of Jesus

whole existence, and also the reaso

why many believed in him (Joh

8:2830).


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7

Crazy About Jesus

Early in the twentieth century, filmabout Jesus made in Hollywood an

elsewhere never showed his face. Later

when film directors like Franc

Zeffirelli inJesus of Nazareth starteshowing the face of Jesus, they normall

picked very handsome men to play th

role. These directors appreciated how

wonderfully handsome and trul

beautifulJesus was. Even if the Gospel

never directly describe Jesus, the

support Zeffirelli and the other directorsDuring the ministry of Jesus peopl

flocked to him, they were drawn to hi

presence, they gazed upon his face and

as Luke 19:48 says, they all hung upo


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his words.

Beautiful people always attract us; w

want to stay in their presence. We neve

ire of listening to them; their word

speak to our hearts. We fall in love with

people who are beautiful. That is th

normal impact of beauty. It touches ouhearts and fills us with joy. That is jus

what the beautiful Jesus did: he spoke t

he hearts of people and filled them wit

oy. They fell in love with him.Just before Christmas 1999, the Italia

national television transmitted a film o

Jesus that they had made in collaboratiowith an American group. The film wa

simply calledJesus. However yo

udged the film or compared it, fo

nstance, with ZeffirellisJesus o


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azareth, this later film brought out on

very central item: Jesus was immensel

attractive to all kinds of people. Th

oung and the old, men and women, thsick and the healthy, farmers and cit

folkall found him to be stunningl

beautiful. They were crazy about hi

and swarmed around him. That fil

esus captured a key truth about Jesu

and his story: people experienced him a

radiantly attractive and they flocked this presence.

The filmJesus took you through th

ife, death, and resurrection of Jesus, an

hen finished by doing somethin

ntriguing and interesting. It jumpe

forward two thousand years and picture

Jesus in jeans on the waterfront in Malta


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As he stood there in the port of Valletta

a whole bunch of small children ra

oward him: forty or fifty of them, fro

ittle ones who were only three or fouears of age up to twelve- or thirteen

ear-old kids. All of them obviousl

found him so lovely and simply wante

o be with him. Jesus picked up one tin

child and walked off, with the infant i

his arms and all the others followin

him. The beautiful Jesus exited with thbeautiful children.

Some years ago I baptized Maymie

he tiny daughter of two dear friend

who lived in London. At the baptism,

said: Maymie, like the rest of us, wil

have only one go at life. I hope and pra

hat she will make a marvelous go a


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ife. She will do that if she finds in Jesu

someone who is uniquely lovely

someone whom she will always cherish

Right here and now Jesus cherishes hewith an infinite love. As she grows up

may she always experience Jesus a

someone stunningly beautiful an

uniquely attractivesomeone she wil

always be happy to be with. It is hi

ove that will enable her to find in hi

he One who satisfies the deepesongings of all our hearts.


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8

The Miracle of Growth

One of lifes special blessings for mwas the chance of growing up on a farm

Those early years taught me to b

astonished by the mystery of new life

fluffy chickens darting across the grounahead of hens; fresh, white rings o

flowers on pear trees; wild rabbit

enjoying the grass on an early summer

evening. I still feel a thrill of wonde

when I recall all that growth: cow

icking their newborn calves; sharp-eye

magpies strutting around with theioung; peas and beans shooting u

where I had planted seeds in th

vegetable garden.


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Once I started to read the Gospel

seriously, it made me happy to find how

often Jesus drew his images fro

farming. He knew that donkeys and oxeneeded to be taken out each day to drin

water. Those farm animals could a

imes fall down wells and needed to b

rescued even on the sacred day of rest

Jesus recalled how barren fig tree

might be revitalized by cultivating th

soil around them and adding a littlmanure. He had learned to predict wha

s very important for farmers: th

weather. Winds from the west blew of

he Mediterranean and brought rain; thwinds from the south came in from th

desert and would be hot and dry

Minding sheep, ploughing the land


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sowing seed, and other farmin

activities turned up constantly in th

preaching of Jesus.

In a special way, what caught his ey

was the marvel of seeds. They send u

shoots, and slowly but surely produc

crops, bushes, and trees. He drew ohis experience to make up stories tha

continue to speak to us about God

powerful rule establishing itself in ou

world. Through his stories taken frohings that grow on farms, Jesu

encouraged his audience to have utte

confidence in the power of God to brin

about the new and wonderful life of th

divine kingdom.

Many good things of the kingdom ar

happening right now, and many more ar


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and growth that God gives everywhere.

Jesus drew from his experience o

farming and the sowing of seeds to tel

his stories about growth. He wanted t

suggest a growth that is beyond ou

understanding and control, as the divin

energy works in our world.His stories about the sowing an

growth of seeds always take me back t

my childhood. In the freshness of th

morning, I would run out into thvegetable garden and find shoot

sprouting through the soil where I ha

planted seeds. Some days later, rows obeans and peas stood up cheerfully in th

sunlight. Vital energy was at work, eve

hough I did not know how. God wa

offering me a lesson about growth an


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vital increase in the divine kingdom.

That growth is at work, and goe

beyond our understanding and control

Things may look dead. But trust Jesu

and the power of God. Beyond ou

understanding and beyond our contro

he divine energy is at work and wilbring its astonishing results.

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