John 6 Sacra Pagina

Sacra Pagina Series Vol. 4.
William précised  Interpretations of John 6:71.
See Insert jump break below.  

John 6:1-71 Jesus of Passover F.Moloney, p.194. The Johannine community, now excluded from the Jewish ritual celebrations yet equally the product of a postwar Jewish world, developed a story that told of Jesus' presence at the Sea of Galilee at Passover time in the following fashion:

(a) Vv. 1-4: An introduction: where? when? who? why? (b) Vv. 5-15: The miracle of the loaves and fishes. (c) Vv. 16-21: Jesus comes to the disciples across the stormy sea. (d) Vv. 22-24: A second introduction: where? when? who? why? (e) Vv. 25-59: The discourse on the bread from heaven. (f) Vv. 60-71: The crisis created by the word of Jesus: i. Vv. 60-66: Many disciples leave Jesus. ii. Vv. 67-71: Peter's confession leads Jesus to warn of Judas' betrayal.

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Donald ...
To: William ...
Sent: Sat, 14 May, 2011 16:33:42
Subject: Re: John 6 - Sacra Pagina / 2+

Dear William,

Thank you.

Downloaded, printed and I am off to browse quietly.

During the Saturday Sacristan stint preparing for Sunday, some other questions surfaced.

One was the word, klasmata, another was mata tauta. Words quoted in the passages of your Interpretations. Then it was not easy to put my finger on the verses. I put the Greek in the Google  Search. Amazingly it gave the answers and hundreds of links. 

Mata tauta Jn 6:1 = after this.

Klasmata Jn 6:12 = fragments, broken pieces, As in "break of bread" knitting the Eucharist context.

Excuse my meandering - 

and checked the same in Kittel, Brown and Langrange sworn for by F. Moloney. His one Volume usefully chrysalises the might sources. 

Blessing on your great lectio.

Donald
 

Sancta Maria Abbey: http://www.nunraw.com.uk    
Blogspot :http://www.domdonald.org.uk/

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From: William ...
To: Donald ...
Sent: Sat, 14 May, 2011 13:34:52
Subject: John 6 - Sacra Pagina / 2

Dear Father Donald,

 

THAT has been perhaps the most fascinating 'study' you have ever encouraged me to undertake!

 

I have focused on the Sacra Pagina "Interpretations" and have built for myself a summary of the key points within the detail given, endeavouring to miss none of the subtle undertones (eg. the significance of the collected remainder of the loaves). Fascinating! There is EVEN more to go at in the Notes, but I decided that I would grind to a halt if I tried to bring those inflections into my summary. Those fine fruits remain to ferment to maturity within the winepress of lectio reflection!

 

The progression of the revelation in this chapter simply takes one's breath away.

 

Thank you for all your wonderful encouragement!

 

... in Our Risen Lord,

William

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: WILLIAM ...
To: Donald ... 
Sent: Friday, 13 May, 2011 20:31:01
Subject: Re: John 6 - Sacra Pagina

Dear Father Donald,

 

Thank you for opening up the earlier sections of the Sacra Pagina commentary on John 6 for me! I have moved my bookmark back (Play Back Fast!) to page 193 and how much more subtle and structured now appears the discourse that follows! Whilst I readily mark the margins of 'study books' (eg O'Collins Christology), I keep this fabulous set of commentaries in pristine condition, and so rely for mental unravelling on pencil and paper; but on this occasion, needing to be moving forward and back, I have typed up key quotes and own 'moments of delight' to build a pyramid of understanding. Several hours have passed and I have only just reached my earlier starting point, but now I have a more sure foundation! I attach my notes thus far. These will fill my quietness of evening / dawn observing all the colours and contours of the stones, exciting me to continue on the morrow as I see the structure beginning to take shape. Then I can polish the stones and have a bookmark that I will frame, within the pages!

Thank you Father. What a joy it is to put each building block of understanding in place!

 

... in Our Risen Lord,

William

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From: Donald ...
To: William ... 
Sent: Friday, 13 May, 2011 16:28:48
Subject: Fw: John 6 - Sacra Pagina

Dear William,

Thank you for sailing the high seas of John 6.
 Previously an Email was the carrot to my donkey to Pope's 'Jesus of Nazareth'.

The carrot this time is the goad from your Sacra Pagina move forward. p. 193  

There are three passages in Sacra Pagina, each gathering pace in revelation. I began sedately with the first of the "Interpretations" that applied to today's Gospel passage, but the pace outpaced my resolve! [Page 214-215, verses 34-40] sets the scene, [page 217-219, verses 41-51] develops the theme, [page 221-224, verses 52-59] brings the revelation to a fulfilling climax. And the joy is that, over the next two days, I can re-read these 'interpretations' again, and again (at my own pace, knowing where they are heading!).

One day - either in learned book form (or indeed via an 'Android app'!), I should like to venture into the recommended texts which are listed "for reference and further study", but for now, I will relish all that Sacra Pagina presents.  

So I need to Play Back Fast to the whole Introduction to 6:1-71.

Getting the framework gives me the perspectives.

Francis Maloney SDB, Aus., writes, "The rich interplay of theological themes ans the complexity of the ongoing discussion with the Jewish Passover traditions have made this section of the Fourth Gospel one of the most discussed texts in the New Testament. The interpreter faces a number of critical problems."

The "Interpretations" you locate are daunting. The NOTES are equally absorbing. The Notes on 34-40 show that Maloney very concentrated on this 6th Chapter of John. I put the details beside the Biblos.com Website with more lairs of interest. Maloney's own translation Verse 36 mentions alternative manuscripts, Sinaiticus, Old Latin, Sinaiticus Syriac, Curentonian Syriac. Just a flag to say there is more to check! 

Moloney 8 Reviews in Amazon Com. (Prolific scripture writer)

Back to discoveries.

God bless.

Donald

e) The Discourse on the Bread from heaven (6:25-59)  p.207. Introduction to 6:25-59. The rich interplay of theological themes and the complexity of the ongoing discussion with Jewish Passover traditions have made this section of the Fourth Gospel one of the most discussed texts in the New Testament.  … Five interventions from the crowd or "the Jews" give vv. 25-59 their shape.

(a) Vv. 25-29: "Rabbi, when did you come here?" (v. 25). This trivial question leads Jesus to instruct the crowd on the need to search for the food that endures to eternal life: belief in the one whom God has sent. (b) Vv. 30-33: "Then what signs do you do?" (v. 30). Jesus is asked for miracle-working credentials that surpass Moses' gift of the manna (vv. 30-31). He points to another bread from heaven, the true bread from heaven. (c) Vv. 34-40: "Lord, give us this bread always" (v. 34). Jesus presents himself as the true bread from heaven, the only one able to make God known and give eternal life. (d) Vv. 41-51: "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" (v. 42). Jesus discusses the question of origins. (e) Vv. 52-59: "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" (v. 52). A final question leads Jesus to instruct "the Jews" on the need to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man. The discourse unfolds around these questions and answers, each section developing a new thought around the single theme of the bread from heaven. The interpretation will comment on each section in turn. The section For Reference and Further Study follows the interpretation of vv. 51-59.

Jesus and the Passover (John 6:1-71)

Summary of key points detailed within the “Interpretation” sections of the Sacra Pagina commentary by Francis J. Moloney

Introduction

The Johannine community (writing as ‘John’ himself, continuing his form and style) developed a story that told of Jesus’ presence at the Sea of Galilee at Passover time by relating connecting material, the miracle of the loaves and fishes, Jesus coming to the disciples across the stormy sea, followed by Jesus discourse on the bread from heaven, followed by the crisis he created by his teaching with many disciples leaving him, leading to Peter’s confession.

An Introduction (6:1-4) – The mountain scene chosen by Jesus brings out the parallel to Moses, and the mention of the Passover time sets the theological agenda.

The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes (6:5-15) – Again with the Moses parallel, where he asked God how he could feed the people (Num 11:13), Jesus tests his disciples by asking them this same question. However, Jesus’ question misses the point with the disciples for material food alone holds their attention, not the spiritual food that Jesus had earlier been describing as his acceptance of the will of the one who sent him (4:32-34). Taking the loaves, giving thanks, and distributing them recalls the formal setting of a Eucharistic celebration, blending the Passover and Eucharist, significantly at Passover time which celebrated the gift of manna. The collecting of the remaining blessed and broken loaves contrasts with the manna which perished. This miracle led to a limited faith, the crowds seeing Jesus as a Moses-like prophet. Jesus is not prepared to accept such acclamation.

The Miracle on the Sea (6:16-21) – It is as Lord that Jesus comes across the water, revealing himself to the disciples with the formula “I AM”, telling them not to fear. The setting is of OT literary form for a theophany (a dark night, a storm, fear). Whereas the multiplication of the loaves did not advance the crowd’s understanding of Jesus, his self-revelation to the disciples leads them to “receive” him. How their faith will develop from here remains an open question.

A Second Introduction (6:22-24) – The story moves on to the next day, drawing closer to the time of the Passover, as the crowds track Jesus down on the other side of the lake, at Capernaum. They were anxious to see this prophet again.

The Discourse on the Bread from Heaven (6:25-59) – It is the rhythm of questions, or interventions, from the crowd or ‘the Jews’ and Jesus’ answers that determines the shape of the discourse which centres on the rich interplay of theological themes and Jewish Passover traditions. Sections that are overtly Eucharistic (vv 51-58) may represent formulae in use by the Johannine community, woven into the discourse to clarify Jesus’ meaning according to their developing understanding of Jesus’ words.  

Nunraw News: 48th World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Nunraw News: 48th World Day of Prayer for Vocations

St. Therese, “No one can come after me, unless the Father who sent me draws him" John 6:44

Thursday, 12 May 2011 Third week of Easter

Saint John 6:44-51. 

Instead of the gospel text today, the translation from St. Therese, “No one can come after me, unless the Father who sent me draws him,” has the unusual use, ‘come AFTER me’. It seems to resonate from the Irish-Scottish dialectic. Jesus address,  ‘come after me’ is more expressive than ‘come to me’.

The mind of St. Therese, exegete amazing as she is, is clear on the word, ‘DRAW’in the quotation below.

She spotlights, in her own vocabulary, DRAWN, IRON, FIRE, DIVINE FURNACE.

NJB Joh 6:44 'No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me, and I will raise that person up on the last day.

Commentary of the day :
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873-1897), Carmelite, Doctor of the Church
Autobiographical Ms. C, 35 r° (©Institute of Carmelite Studies)

«No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him"

Mother, I think it is necessary to give a few more explanations on the passage in theCanticle of Canticles: "Draw me, we shall run in the odor of your ointments» (Sg 1,4 LXX)... "No one can come after me, unless the Father who sent me draws him,»Jesus said. Again... he teaches us that it enough to knock and it will be opened, to seek in order to find, to hold out one's hand humbly to receive what is asked for (Mt 7,8f.; Lk 11,9f.). He says that everything we ask the Father in His name, he will grant it (Jn 16,23)...

What is it then to ask to be "Drawn" if not to be united in an intimate way to the object which captivates our heart?

If fire and iron had the use of reason, and if the latter said to the other: "Draw me," would it not prove that it desires to be identified with the fire in such a way that the fire penetrate and drink it up with its burning substance and seem to become one with it?

Dear Mother, this is my prayer. I ask Jesus to draw me into the flames of His love, to unite me so closely to Him that He live and act in me.

I feel that the more the fire of love burns within my heart, the more I shall say: "Draw me," the more also the souls who will approach me (poor little piece of iron, useless if I withdraw from the divine furnace), the more these souls will run swiftly in the odor of the ointments of their Beloved, for a soul that is burning with love cannot remain inactive.

No doubt, she will remain at Jesus' feet as did Mary Magdalene, and she will listen to His sweet and burning words. Appearing to do nothing, she will give much more than Martha (Lk 10,39ff.).

6. Pope Jesus of Nazareth Vol 1,

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: WILLIAM ....
To: Donald ....
Sent: Wed, 11 May, 2011 17:38:29
Subject: Re: John 6 - and the world of the android phone!

Dear Father Donald,

Thank you! Goodness, I was bedazzled by the Android article and links - absolutely amazing! All so new to me, wonders that have arrived since I stepped aside from IT involvement five years ago. BUT what resources are available! It first needed my dictionary ("Android - a robot in human form"!) followed by Wikipedia! The Android Market is a vast world of enterprise for a world 'on the move'. I will ask the osteopath about the general topic - he runs his life from his mobile applications!

The Gospel readings, John 6, are an ocean of revelation, and there is so much to research... Benedict XVI Vol 1 excuses himself  (page 264) from 'considering the details of this discourse, which the exegetes have discussed at length and analysed thoroughly', limiting himself 'to drawing out its principal message'. At the foot of page 269 ff 270, he gives a very fine explanatory summary of the teaching, ending with a 'brief look at one of the key sayings of John's gospel' (page 271), bringing the whole mystery into the palm of one's hands in the Eucharist: a perfect summary from which to start to burrow... and where other than your recommended Sacra Pagina!

There are three passages in Sacra Pagina, each gathering pace in revelation. I began sedately with the first of the "Interpretations" that applied to today's Gospel passage, but the pace outpaced my resolve! [Page 214-215, verses 34-40] sets the scene, [page 217-219, verses 41-51] develops the theme, [page 221-224, verses 52-59] brings the revelation to a fulfilling climax. And the joy is that, over the next two days, I can re-read these 'interpretations' again, and again (at my own pace, knowing where they are heading!).

One day - either in learned book form (or indeed via an 'Android app'!), I should like to venture into the recommended texts which are listed "for reference and further study", but for now, I will relish all that Sacra Pagina presents.

Bounding with excitement, thank you for again drawing me into the joy of shared reflection!

Meanwhile I hope Fr. Nivard's own version of 'SatNav' brings him safely home soon! I will ask him of his adventures (yet to have my own to Nunraw!).

... Our Risen Lord,

William

---

From: Donald
To: William . . .
Sent: Wednesday, 11 May, 2011 13:00:58
Subject: Android Bible

Dear William,

On Tuersday I had the Mass.

We are into John 6 and I had a nodding wave at "BREAD" in this chapter, 20 occurrences. The Ancestors said "He gave them bread from heaven". Joh 6:31. The Jews speak of bread. Jesus uses the "word" very differently. There is fine tuning - it is as very different as heaven and earth.

"I am the bread of life".6:35

In this sound bite, we might ask, "How can I hwlp others understand Jesus' presence in the Eucharist.
We can, we offer Holy Mass, we can ask ourselves how understand Jesus' presence ..."     

BREAD in Ben xvi Vol 1 digs deep again. 

But I feel that the brain  wheels are grinding slower.

Hence the easier diversion. See Attachment of Evaluation of Android Bible. http://bibleandtech.blogspot.com/2011/05/evaluation-of-android-bible-apps.html

And, after-though, Haydock Commentary on Jn 6.

.....+

Donald

 JESUS OF NAZARETH, POPE BENED1CT XVI, Part 1 

From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration, pp. 263-272

Bread

We have already dealt extensively with the bread motif in connection with Jesus' temptations. We have seen that the temptation to turn the desert rocks into bread raises the whole question of the Messiah's mission, and that through the devil's distortion of this mission Jesus' positive answer can already be glimpsed; this answer then becomes explicit once and for all in the gift of his body as bread for the life of the world on the eve of his Passion. We have also encountered the bread motif in our exposition of the fourth petition of the Our Father, where we tried to survey the different dimensions of this petition, and thus to explore the full range of the bread theme. At the end of Jesus' activity in Galilee, he performs the multiplication of the loaves; on one hand, it is an unmistakable sign of Jesus' messianic mission, while on the other, it is also the crossroads of his public ministry, which from this point leads dearly to the Cross. All three Synoptic Gospels tell of a miraculous feeding of five thousand men (cf Mt 14:13-21; Mk 6:32-44; Lk 9:10b-I7); Matthew and Mark tell of an additional feeding of four thousand (cf. Mt 15:32-38; Mk 8:1-9).

The two stories have a rich theological content that we cannot enter into here. I will restrict myself to John's story of the multiplication of the loaves (cf. [n 6:1-15), not in order to study it in depth, but rather to focus upon the interpretation that Jesus gives of this event in his great bread of life discourse the following day in the synagogue on the other side of the lake. One more qualification is in order: We cannot consider the details of this discourse, which the exegetes have discussed at length and analyzed thoroughly. I would merely like to draw out its principal message and, above all, to situate it in the context of the whole tradition to which it belongs and in terms of which it has to be understood.

Edward Lear's Bethlehem 1858

Acknowledge
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=18200

Bonhams to sell Edward Lear painting of Bethlehem

By: Jo Siedlecka

Posted: Tuesday, May 10, 2011 1:08 pm

Edward Lear's Bethlehem 1858  As well as being a well known poet, Edward Lear (1812-1888) was also a prolific artist.  The next 19th Century Paintings auction at Bonhams New Bond Street, in London,  features a beautiful topographical scene of Bethlehem which Lear completed from sketches he made whilst travelling in the Middle East.  It is estimated to sell for £50,000-80,000 at the auction on 13th July 2011. Early on in his painting career Lear focused predominantly on ornithological works and was employed by the Zoological Society, but landscapes subsequently became his preferred subject.  He was a frequent traveller and on his numerous journeys he kept detailed diaries as well as many topographical watercolour sketches that were later worked up in oils back in his studio. In 1858, accompanied by his manservant Georgio Kokali, Lear spent three months touring Jerusalem, Petra, Bethlehem, Hebron and Lebanon, after receiving a commission from Lady Waldegrave for two works including a view of Jerusalem.  On 2 April he left Jerusalem to travel south to Bethlehem and it was on this visit that he did the preliminary sketches for this painting.  He wrote to Lady Waldegrave, “My stay at Bethlehem delighted me greatly - & I then hoped to have got similar drawings of all the Holy Land. – All the country near it is lovely – and you see Ruth in the fields all day below those dark olives.”  Lear returned back to London after his travels armed with numerous sketches from Palestine.  The Pre-Raphaelite sculptor Thomas Woolner described them in a letter to Emily Tennyson, “I went to Holman Hunt’s the other evening and met Lear who shewed all his sketches done in Holy Land: I think that they are the most beautiful things he has ever done: if you have not seen them I hope you will, for they would give much delight and interest you extremely, not only for the mystery and history attached to the places themselves but also for the excessive fineness, tenderness and beauty of the art displayed in them.”  The sketches were later worked up into oil paintings, and it is believed that this work was commissioned by Leonard Rowe Valpy, solicitor to John Ruskin and a noted collector of contemporary painting. Charles O’Brien, Head of 19th Century Pictures at Bonhams said: “We are delighted to offer for auction this rare Lear view of Bethlehem, a place of huge religious and historical significance, and the artist’s only major oil of the subject.”

5. Pope Jesus of Nazareth Vol 1

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: WILLIAM ...
To: Donald ....
Sent: Mon, 9 May, 2011 18:26:26
Subject: Re: [Blog] Research (reply)

Dear Father Donald,

 

Thank you for sending me the Kittel dictionary scan! How inspiring it is to have burrowed with you and reached this 'degree of understanding' of Benedict XVI's interpretation... for so often I find a passage that intrigues me but decide it is just too complex, with commentators cross referencing one learned work to another, so that I cannot get a foot hold and have to abandon the trail! Reading Benedict XVI's writings is so inspiring, and demanding - but how satisfying! Such passages that are researched in this way stay to mind, and reignite at each recurrence.

 

By choosing a time carefully that I may not disturb the brethren when I come on retreat, I have a great desire to explore your library (rather than simply visit it!).

 

Thank you Father.

...  in Our Risen Lord,

William

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----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Donald Nunraw ...
To: WILLIAM ...
Sent: Mon, 9 May, 2011 11:27:23
Subject: Re: [Blog] Research dictionary 2

Hi, William,
Salt for William,

So happened tag 'salt of william' in other misfire OCR scans.

Thank for you Email, simply adding carrot to this donkey, to set me on the KITTEL trail.

At last I have tried to navigate the 10 Volumes, TDNT (Kittel).

Invaluable exercise. 

The scan, Attached, is not up to full accuracy for the footnotes and is not polyglot.

Years past, the collection came from a second hand book shop by a monk bibliophile.

Also more carrots in the Links in your note and also confirmation of your meticulous find of Benedict's bibliography. 

Happy Scripture hunting as Jesus on Emmaus.

Donald
 PS. Thanks for the excellent article.

Christian 'definition' of salt Light from the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church.

---

Theological Dictionary of the New Testament Vol 1

Gerard Kittel, Ed., Geoffey Bromley Trs & Ed. Calif 1963

Biblical Reference “SALT”.

In the ancient world salt has religious significance. Because of its purifying and seasoning (Job 6:6) and preserving qualities it is a symbol of endurance 1 and value." It is linked with God,3 as putrefaction and corruption are linked with demons. For this reason it was much used in worship, as in the OT. It was sprinkled on or mixed into the sacrifices (Ex. 30:35; Lv. 2:13; Ez. 43:21). Newborn children were rubbed with it (Ez. 16:4). It was used by Orientals to drive away evil spirits. 4 Lasting covenants were made by eating bread and salt, or salt alone (Nu.18:19; 2Ch.13:5: the covenant of salt). ⁵

In the NT its cultic significance is lost. 6 The sacrificial ritual is simply a means to convey the truths of the religious and moral world. This seems to be the point

of the obscure saying in Mk. 9:49.7 The disciple must be seasoned with salt like the sacrifice. This will take place through trials (cf. the fire of 1 C. 3:13), and everything contrary to God will be purged away. Salt also typifies the religious and moral quality which must characterise the speech of the Christian (Col. 4:6), and esp. the quality which is an inner mark of the disciple and the loss of which will make him worthless (Lk. 14:34 f.; Mt.5:13; Mk.9:50).

Lk. gives us the original wording, linking the saying with serious demands made on the disciple. Mt. gives us, secondarily. a direct application to the disciples themselves. The saying seems to have in view conditions in Palestine. Salt from the Dead Sea, which is mixed with gypsum etc., acquires easily a stale and alkaline taste (cf. Plin., 31.34: tabescit). There seems to be a scoffing reference to this saying of Jesus in bBek.,8b: "(RJoshua b. Chananja (c.90) was once asked to tell a story). He said:

There was once a mule which had a foal. On this was hung a chain with the inscription that it should raise 100,000 Zuz from its father's family. He was asked: Can then a mule bear offspring 7 He said: These are fables. He was then asked: When salt loses its savour (not Hbr script lalas ), wherewith shall it be salted? He answered: With the young of a mule. He was then asked: Does then the unfruitful mule have young? He answered: Can salt lose its savour 7" 8

Hauck

Footnotes – for the moment our HP SCAN(OCR) not responsive to Footnotes and polyglot languages.

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Stay with us. Mane nobiscum Domine

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 24:13-35. 

That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,   . . .    As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther.    But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.     

Commentary of the day : 

Blessed John-Paul II, Pope from 1978 to 2005 

Apostolic Letter « Mane nobiscum Domine » §19-20 (7/11/04, © copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana) 

"Stay with us"

When the disciples on the way to Emmaus asked Jesus to stay «with» them, he responded by giving them a much greater gift: through the Sacrament of the Eucharist he found a way to stay «in» them. 

Receiving the Eucharist means entering into a profound communion with Jesus. «Abide in me, and I in you» (Jn 15:4). 

This relationship of profound and mutual «abiding» enables us to have a certain foretaste of heaven on earth. 

Is this not the greatest of human yearnings? 

Is this not what God had in mind when he brought about in history his plan of salvation? 

God has placed in human hearts a «hunger» for his word (cf. Am 8:11), a hunger which will be satisfied only by full union with him. 

Eucharistic communion was given so that we might be «sated» with God here on earth, in expectation of our complete fulfilment in heaven.

This special closeness which comes about in Eucharistic «communion» cannot be adequately understood or fully experienced apart from ecclesial communion... 

The Church is the Body of Christ: we walk «with Christ» to the extent that we are in relationship «with his body». Christ provided for the creation and growth of this unity by the outpouring of his Holy Spirit. 

And he himself constantly builds it up by his Eucharistic presence. 

It is the one Eucharistic bread which makes us one body. 

As the Apostle Paul states: «Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread» (1Cor 10:17). 

Commemoration of the Carthusian Martyrs St. John Houghton and Companions.

Royal Wedding - Britain cares about marriage

The Spirit of Jesus Christ was at work not only in that happy couple, but also in the gathering together of so many who shared in the splendid royal wedding. Assembled with Her Majesty the Queen were three cardinals, the Apostolic Nuncio representing the Holy See, and the present Archbishop of Westminster too! 

ZE11050702 - 2011-05-07
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-32513?l=english

WESTMINSTER ARCHBISHOP'S SERMON
ON CARTHUSIAN MARTYRS

"The Holy Spirit ... Has Healed Many Wounds in the Church"

LONDON, MAY 7, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a sermon of Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster for Solemn Evensong and the Commemoration of the Carthusian Martyrs St. John Houghton and Companions. The archbishop gave the sermon Wednesday.

* * *

Shortly, from this chapel, where we have celebrated such a beautiful solemn evensong, we will process to the Chapel Court, the site of the ancient Priory Church. There, as the Master will remind us, the Carthusian Community – having a few days earlier undertaken their reconciliation with God and one another -- offered the Mass of the Holy Spirit.

They did so that the “gracious Comforter himself” would “console, strengthen and direct [their] hearts”. And, as we will hear, during that holy Mass the monks experienced the voice of a gentle breeze, which, though no more than a sweetly whispered murmur, was nevertheless an irresistible power.

It is so fitting that we are reminded of that outpouring of the Holy Spirit during this season of Eastertide. For Our Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection is also the time of the new coming of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus had promised in the Upper Room where he kept his Passover with the Twelve. Jesus, the Christ, consecrated by the Father with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, gave up his spirit on the cross so that risen he may bestow it upon his Apostles. “Receive the Holy Spirit”, he says. Then, just as he himself was sent, so he calls the Apostles to be ministers of, and witnesses to, that peace and reconciliation which are the fruits of the new creation inaugurated by his death and resurrection. This apostolic mission is given its definitive manifestation on the day of Pentecost. Full of the strength of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles go out to fulfil faithfully their vocation, even though in so doing they encountered suffering and death.

That same Holy Spirit came upon the Carthusian martyrs whom we commemorate today. The gift of the Holy Spirit moved them to be reconciled with God and with one another. That soft murmur carried sweetly and strongly, to their inner ear, the very word of God: “Fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; you are mine”; I will be with you through river and fire to bring you to the glory for which I have created you. Yes, a gentle breath convincing them utterly that the fiery trial ahead would make them nothing less than partakers in Christ’s sufferings -- thus something in which to rejoice! And it was “the spirit of glory and of God” resting upon them which enabled this brave brotherhood to believe unswervingly that “when [Christ’s] glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” The sound from Heaven heard just after the consecration of the Mass was indeed the promise of future glory: a sure hope on which to draw during their courageous witness to the truth of God and His holy Church.

That courageous witness was given four hundred and seventy six years ago today when Saint John Houghton, after pardoning his executioner with a moving embrace and kiss, went to his death praying one of the psalms we sang tonight: In te, Domine, speravi. It was such hope, born of the Spirit, such a firm trust in God our strong rock and deliverer, which preserved St John in fidelity to his calling and mission; such inspired trust and hope permitting St John in his suffering to give voice to the very passion of Christ: “Into your hands I commend my spirit”. In this, too, he was one with Christ’s Passover into the Father’s glory.

His nineteen companions gave the same witness, some of whom endured being tied to posts in filthy prisons and deprived of food. However, for a while at least, a Margaret Clement, disguised as a milkmaid, it is said, was able to smuggle in meat to these poor souls. Margaret had been brought up in the household of St. Thomas More, whom by association we may also include as a Charterhouse martyr. No doubt you know that as a young man he joined in the spiritual exercises of the Charterhouse and seriously considered joining the Community. Although he did not, the influence of the monks remained in his heart. In his Dialogue of Comfort, written whilst a prisoner in the Tower, he tells us that imprisonment for God’s sake is no displeasure. As an example to prove this he takes the “Holy Monks…of the Charterhouse Order, such as never pass their cells but only to the church set fast by their cells and thence to their cells again, wherein for God’s love they joyfully choose so to live.” And it was in his cell that St. Thomas echoes the trust of the Carthusian when he wrote: “God must be your comfort…And he is a sure comforter;…and therefore if, you be part of His flock, and believe His promise, how can you be comfortless in any tribulation? When Christ and his Holy Spirit, and with them their inseparable Father (if you put full trust and confidence in them), be never neither one finger breadth of space nor one minute of time from you.”

Guided by the Holy Spirit, St Thomas More discerned that his vocation was not monasticism but marriage. Of course, one can be called to both (but not at the same time!) as was demonstrated by one of the Carthusian Martyrs, Blessed Sebastian Newdigate. He married and had a daughter. Later, following the death of his wife, he entered the London Charterhouse. King Henry VIII, with whom Sebastian had enjoyed an intimate friendship, offered great riches to Sebastian if only he would conform to the Act of Supremacy. The king even visited Sebastian in prison in order to convince him to do so. However, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, Sebastian remained steadfast.

This fidelity of two Charterhouse martyrs who had lived as married men brings to mind the most recent marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. For it powerfully reminded us that Holy Matrimony calls the couple to be living witnesses to the Holy Spirit – The Lovers’ breath. The Spirit inflames the trust so essential to married life, trust not only between husband and wife but also – and above all -- in God. As Bishop Richard Chartres in his eloquent address explained: in the spirit of our generous God, husband and wife are to give themselves to one another; that whatever the difficulties, they are to be committed to the way of self-sacrificing love, a generous love which allows the Spirit to flow. Yet such generous love, the true sustenance of enduring happiness, is not possible without that most fundamental trust in God. I think that the young Duke and Duchess do believe this. In the lovely prayer which they composed for their own wedding they asked God the Father to keep their eyes fixed on what is real and important in life, and they asked the grace of serving ‘in the Spirit of Jesus’ himself.

The Spirit of Jesus Christ was at work not only in that happy couple, but also in the gathering together of so many who shared in the splendid royal wedding. Assembled with Her Majesty the Queen were three cardinals, the Apostolic Nuncio representing the Holy See, and the present Archbishop of Westminster too! It was an occasion which showed that, even if not wholly, the Holy Spirit of peace and reconciliation has healed many wounds in the Church. Certainly there is a journey still to be completed, but how far we have come from the situation in the sixteenth century which we recall today! Furthermore, it struck me, sat as I was in the choir stalls with the Chief Rabbi and leaders of other religions as neighbours, that within the Abbey a certain bond of unity with those outside the Christian family had been forged. Was this not another manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s work?

Certainly the royal wedding made a very favourable impression on many of my brother bishops from around the world who were at another great celebration which I attended last Sunday, the Beatification of Pope John Paul II. This too was a marvellous celebration of the fruits of the Spirit, for the Holy Spirit empowered Blessed John Paul to respond whole-heartedly to the invitation of Christ: “Do not be afraid.” He was not afraid to forgive his would-be assassin. He was not afraid to proclaim the power of hope in Christ or to cross the threshold of that hope in search of freedom for so many. As Pope Benedict said in his homily, Pope John Paul encouraged many believers not to be afraid to speak the Gospel. Maybe it was during the closing days of his earthly life, when he could hardly speak, that Blessed John Paul spoke most authentically the Gospel of God’s love and unfailing mercy. Fortified by the Holy Spirit received through the Sacrament of Holy Anointing, in the midst of fragility of old age and the suffering caused by sickness, when fear can so easily overwhelm us, he witnessed to the abiding presence of God. To the end Blessed John Paul II taught us not to be afraid of accepting the call to holiness: for if we rely on the Holy Spirit’s strength, no matter our weakness in face of challenges, we will be victorious and find peace in that glory for which we were made.

Blessed John Paul II speaks to us still this evening. He assures us that no matter the obstacles still to be overcome, the Holy Spirit is leading the Church to the full realization of the Father’s plan. That plan, to which the will of Christ is perfectly conformed, is expressed with heartfelt urgency in his prayer uttered at the moment he entered the saving mystery of his Passover: Ut Unum Sint. In his encyclical on the commitment to ecumenism rooted in this prayer of Our Lord, Pope John Paul II wrote that Church “asks the Spirit for the grace to strengthen her own unity and to make it grow in full communion with other Christians; a grace to be obtained through hope in the Spirit, who can banish from us the painful memories of our separation and grant us the clear sightedness, strength and courage to take what steps are necessary, that our commitment may be ever more authentic.” (102)

So as we take our steps to the Chapel Court in the company of Saint John Houghton and his fellow Carthusian Martyrs, let us seek their intercession -- and Blessed John Paul II’s too. He would also ask to seek the help of that spirit-filled woman, Mary, who recognised that for God nothing is impossible. In answer to their prayers, may the grace of spiritual unction which they possessed so abundantly pass to us and softly charm our hearts. Gladdened and strengthened by that gift may we not be afraid to journey further along the path toward unity, knowing that the Lord walks with us every step of the way, no matter how arduous it may seem. May God’s holy will, that there be full and visible communion among all who rejoice in the name Christian, find fulfilment in and through us, to his eternal praise. Amen.

4. Pope Jesus of Nazareth Vol 11

ACTS 1

Parallel

AMP	Vulgate	DRB	KJV	ASV	GNT-WH+
4  And while being in their company and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised, Of which [He said] you have heard Me speak. [John 14:16, 26; 15:26.]	4  et convescens praecepit eis ab Hierosolymis ne discederent sed expectarent promissionem Patris quam audistis per os meum	4  And eating together with them, he commanded them, that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard (saith he) by my mouth.	4  And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.	4  and, being assembled together with them, he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, ye heard from me:	4  καιG2532 CONJ  συναλιζομενοςG4871 V-PNP-NSM  παρηγγειλενG3853 V-AAI-3S  αυτοιςG846 P-DPM  αποG575 PREP  ιεροσολυμωνG2414 N-GPN  μηG3361 PRT-N  χωριζεσθαιG5563 V-PPN  αλλαG235 CONJ  περιμενεινG4037 V-PAN  τηνG3588 T-ASF

Gill
Acts 1:4  And being assembled together with them,.... At their last meeting at Bethany, or Mount Olivet, which was by appointment: some render the words, as the Vulgate Latin, "and eating with them"; which was one of the proofs he gave of his being alive; and so the Syriac version renders it, "and when he had ate bread with them", and the Ethiopic version, "and dining with them", which he might do more than once; see Joh_21:12 this was the last time, when he

RWT
Act 1:4
Being assembled together with them (sunalizomenos). Present passive participle from sunalizō, an old verb in Herodotus, Xenophon, etc., from sun, with, and halizō, from halēs, crowded. The margin of both the Authorized and the Revised Versions has “eating with them” as if from sun and hals (salt). Salt was the mark of hospitality. There is the verb halisthēte en autōi used by Ignatius Ad Magnes. X, “Be ye salted in him.” But it is more than doubtful if that is the idea here though the Vulgate does have convescens illis “eating with them,” as if that was the common habit of Jesus during the forty days (Wendt, Feine, etc.). Jesus did on occasion eat with the disciples (Luk_24:41-43; Mar_16:14).

Amplified Bible

Act 1:4  And while being in their company and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised, Of which [He said] you have heard Me speak. [John 14:16, 26; 15:26.]

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To help readers achieve the greatest possible clarity and understanding in their reading of the text of the Amplified Bible, some explanation of the various markings within the text is necessary:

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Through amplification, the reader gains a better understanding of what the Hebrew and Greek listener instinctively understood (as a matter of course). Take, for example, the Greek word pisteuo, which the vast majority of versions render as "believe." That simple translation, however, hardly does justice to the many meanings contained in the Greek pisteuo: "to adhere to, cleave to; to trust to have faith in; to rely on, to depend on." Notice the subtle shades of meaning which are unlocked in John 11:25:

"Jesus said to her, I am [Myself] the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on) Me, although he may die, yet he shall live."

Or in the words of the apostle Paul (1 Cor 2:13; Phil 1:11),

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3. Jesus eating salt with his disciples. Acts 1:4

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: WILLIAM ...
To: Fr Donald ...
Sent: Fri, 6 May, 2011 20:50:42
Subject: Re: [Blog] PS. Christian 'definition' of salt

Dear Father Donald,

 

PS. I think I have found an understanding of the word 'salt' that helps to explain Benedict XVI's interpretation: Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church:

 

"Owing to its preservative quality salt was a sign of purity and incorruptibility, esp. among the Semitic peoples. As such, it served to confirm contracts and friendship, the covenant between Jehovah and Israel on Sinai, eg., being called a 'covenant of salt' in Num 18:19. This symbolism, taken together with its seasoning properties, explains the Lord's saying "Ye are the salt of the earth' (Mt 5:13, cf also Mk 9:50), where the salt represents Christian wisdom and integrity, as also in Col 4:6. The ritual use of salt is very old and widespread. It was prescribed in the OT for every oblation (Lev 2:13) and played an important part in the sacrifices of the Greeks and Romans. The old pagan Roman custom of placing a few grains of salt on the lips of an infant on the 8th day after his birth to chase away the demons prob. lay behind the offering of blessed salt to catechumens which formerly formed part of the RC rite of Baptism. Salt may also be used for the preparation of holy water."

This thus becomes another wonderful example of how Jesus applied the customs, traditions, and the understanding of the day, to interpret and explain the depth of meaning in his teaching.

 

Needless to say, this has fascinated me!

 

... in Our Risen Lord,

William