Saturday of 4th Week of Easter John 14:8 Philip said, 'Lord, show us the Father and then we shall be satisfied.'

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 14:7-14.

Jesus said to his disciples:  “If you know me, then you will also know my Father.  From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 
Philip said to him, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it. 

Commentary of the day : 

Saint Irenaeus of Lyons (c.130-c.208), Bishop, theologian and martyr 
Against the heresies 4, 20, 4-5 ; SC 100 

"Whoever has seen me has seen the Father"

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5,8). True, since the Father cannot be grasped, “no man can see God and live” (Ex 33,20) in his majesty and inexpressible glory. But in his love, his goodness to us and almighty power, he does go so far as to give to those who love him the privilege of seeing God..., for “what is impossible to man is possible to God” (Lk 18,27). Of himself man will not see God; but God, if he wishes, will be seen by men, by those he wants, when he wants and as he wants, for God can do all things. In former times he was seen according to prophecy thanks to the Spirit, then he was seen according to adoption thanks to the Son, and he will be seen in the Kingdom of heaven according to his fatherhood. For the Spirit makes us ready beforehand for the Son of God; the Son leads us to the Father; and the Father gives us an immortal nature and the eternal life that follows from this sight of God for all who see it.

For those who see the light are in the light and share in its splendor, and so those who see God are in God and share in his splendor. And God's splendor gives life: therefore, those who see God share in his life.

Naverre Bibble Commentery

 8-11. The Apostles still find our Lord's words very mysterious, because they cannot understand the oneness of the Father and the Son. Hence Philip's persistence. Then Jesus "upbraids the Apostle for not yet knowing Him, even though His works are proper to God--walking on the water, controlling the wind, forgiving sins, raising the dead. This is why He reproves him: for not recognizing His divine condition through His human nature" (St. Augustine, "De Trinitate", Book 7). 

Obviously the sight of the Father which Jesus refers to in this passage is a vision through faith, for no one has ever seen God as He is (cf. Joh_1:18 ; Joh_6:46 ). All manifestations of God, or "theophanies", have been through some medium; they are only a reflection of God's greatness. The highest expression which we have of God our Father is in Christ Jesus, the Son of God sent among men. "He did this by the total fact of His presence and self-manifestation--by words and works, signs and miracles, but above all by His death and glorious resurrection from the dead, and finally by sending the Spirit of truth. He revealed that God was with us, to deliver us from the darkness of sin and death, and to raise us up to eternal life" (Vatican II, "Dei Verbum", 4).  

 12-14. Before leaving this world, the Lord promises His Apostles to make them sharers in His power so that God's salvation may be manifested through them. These "works" are the miracles they will work in the name of Jesus Christ (cf. Act_3:1-10 ; Act_5:15-16 ; etc.), and especially the conversion of people to the Christian faith and their sanctification by preaching and the ministry of the sacraments. They can be considered greater works than Jesus' own insofar as, by the Apostles' ministry, the Gospel was not only preached in Palestine but was spread to the ends of the earth; but this extraordinary power of apostolic preaching proceeds from Christ, who has ascended to the Father: after undergoing the humiliation of the cross Jesus has been glorified and from Heaven He manifests His power by acting through His Apostles. 

The Apostles' power, therefore, derives from Christ glorified. Christ our Lord says as much: "Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it". "It is not that he who believes in Me will be greater than Me, but that only that I shall then do greater works than now; greater, by him who believes in Me, than I now do by myself without Him" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang.", 72, 1). 

Jesus Christ is our intercessor in Heaven; therefore, He promises us that everything we ask for in His name, He will do. Asking in His name (cf. Joh_15:7 , Joh_15:16 ; Joh_16:23-24 ) means appealing to the power of the risen Christ, believing that He is all-powerful and merciful because He is true God; and it also means asking for what is conducive to our salvation, for Jesus is our Savior. Thus, by "whatever you ask" we must understand what is for the good of the asker. When our Lord does not give what we ask for, the reason is that it would not make for our salvation. In this way we can see that He is our Savior both when He refuses us what we ask and when He grants it.

St. Rafael Arnaiz Baron 27 April 2013

On the OCSO Calendar, we celebrate the feat of Saint Rafael on 27th April.

At the Mass, introduction Fr. A. said:

"Today we commemorate St. Rafael Baron.

A Spanish Cistercian who died of diabetes in 1938 at the age of 27.

In his writings Rafael says, 'We have to find our way along many winding paths before we arrive at the simple straight one. 

True knowledge of God comes through simplicity of heart and integrity. 

An act of love is not difficult'."

In the Bidding Prayers, we prayed for the Oblates of the Cistercians.

Saint Rafael Baron

information: Abadia Cisterciense de S. Isidro de Dueñas, 34200 Venta de Baños (Palencia), SPAIN

        website: www.abadiasanisidro.es

Archive for the ‘St. Rafael Arnaiz Baron’ Category  Our new St. Rafael Arnaiz Baron: “this young man of the twentieth century”

October 11, 2009

There is often an uptick in visits to this blog when canonizations or beatifications take place.  That’s been the case today, but interestingly, the majority of searchers found their way here not by searching for Damien of Molokai or Jeanne Jugan, but another of today’s new saints, Rafael Arnaiz Baron.  Welcome one and all.
Here’s an interesting note: The bishops of Spain have proposed making St. Rafael as a patron of the 2011 World Youth Day, which will take place in Madrid. They wrote, “We trust that Brother Raphael Arnaiz will accompany us as one of the ‘co-patrons’ of the meeting, so that all the young people of the world might become aware of God’s work in this young man of the 20th century.”
Below you’ll find a minute-long CNS video on St. Rafael (it’s also available in Spanish here) and then several helpful English resources on St. Rafael.

Bio on a Trappist website
Bio from the website of a Benedictine priest
A CNS article on last year’s approval of a miracle attributed to his intercession.
If you’re looking for something more substantial, God Alone: A Spiritual Biography of Blessed Rafael Arnaiz Baron looks like a worthwhile book.

Posted in new saints and blesseds, Spaniards, St. Rafael Arnaiz Baron| Comments

Saint John 12:37-50. Retrospective and Resume of Out Lord's Ministry

Ronald Knox and Ronald Cox.   

The Gospel Story
Reflections of John and the Evangelist.
A Summary of the Lord's Life.

It was the occasion of the Gospel Reading for the Mass this morning.
The brightness of the Paschal Candle and the reading gave new illumination to mind and heart.

The Amplified Bible adds savoury of translation:

Joh 12:49  This is because I have never spoken on My own authority or of My own accord or as self-appointed, but the Father Who sent Me has Himself given Me orders [concerning] what to say and what to tell. [Deut. 18:18, 19.] 
Joh 12:50  And I know that His commandment is (means) eternal life. So whatever I speak, I am saying [exactly] what My Father has told Me to say and in accordance with His instructions. 


The Commentary for Navarre Bible, John 12:44-50 brings the theological presence to the text. not withstanding contoversy of 'The Unbelief of the Jews'.   

    44-50.  With these verses St. John brings to an end his account of our Lord's public ministry. He brings together certain fundamental themes developed in previous chapters--the need for faith in Christ (verse Joh_12:44 ); the Father and the Son are one yet distinct (cf. Joh_12:45 ); Jesus is Light and Life of the world (verses Joh_12:46 , Joh_12:50 ); men will be judged in accordance with whether they accept or reject the Son of God (verses Joh_12:47-49 ). The chapters which follow contain Jesus' teaching to His Apostles at the Last Supper, and the accounts of the Passion and Resurrection.   

   45.  Christ, the Word Incarnate, is one with the Father (cf. Joh_10:30 ); "He reflects the glory of God" ( Heb_1:3 ); "He is the image of the invisible God" ( Col_1:15 ). In  Joh_14:9  Jesus expresses Himself in almost the same words: "He who has seen Me has seen the Father". At the same time as He speaks of His oneness with the Father, we are clearly shown the distinction of persons--the Father who sends, and the Son who is sent.

  In Christ's holy human nature His divinity is, as it were, hidden, that divinity which He possesses with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit (cf. Joh_14:7-11 ). In theology "circumincession" is the word usually used for the fact that, by virtue of the unity among the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity, "the Father is wholly in the Son and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Son wholly in the Father and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit wholly in the Father and wholly in the Son" (Council of Florence, "Decree Pro Jacobitis, Dz-Sch", 1331).   

   47.  Christ has come to save the world by offering Himself in sacrifice for our sins and bringing us supernatural life (cf. Joh_3:17 ). But He has also been made Judge of the living and the dead (cf. Act_10:42 ): He passes sentence at the Particular Judgment which happens immediately after death, and at the end of the world, at His Second Coming or Parousia, at the universal judgment (cf. Joh_5:22 ; Joh_8:15-16 ).

<< John 12:49 >>

Strong's Transliteration Greek English Morphology 3754 [e] hoti ὅτι for Conj 1473 [e] egō ἐγὼ I PPro-N1S 1537 [e] ex ἐξ from Prep 1683 [e] emautou ἐμαυτοῦ myself PPro-GM1S 3756 [e] ouk οὐκ not Adv 2980 [e] elalēsa ἐλάλησα spoke, V-AIA-1S 235 [e] all' ἀλλ' but Conj 3588 [e] ho ὁ the Art-NMS 3992 [e] pempsas πέμψας having sent V-APA-NMS 1473 [e] me με me PPro-A1S 3962 [e] patēr πατὴρ Father N-NMS 846 [e] autos αὐτός himself, PPro-NM3S 1473 [e] moi μοι me PPro-D1S 1785 [e] entolēn ἐντολὴν commandment N-AFS 1325 [e] dedōken δέδωκεν gave V-RIA-3S 5101 [e] ti τί what IPro-ANS 3004 [e] eipō εἴπω I should say, V-ASA-1S 2532 [e] kai καὶ and Conj 5101 [e] ti τί what IPro-ANS 2980 [e] lalēsō λαλήσω I should speak; V-ASA-1S ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 12:49 Greek NT: Westcott/Hort with Diacriticsὅτι ἐγὼ ἐξ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐκ ἐλάλησα, ἀλλ’ ὁ πέμψας με πατὴρ αὐτός μοι ἐντολὴν δέδωκεν τί εἴπω καὶ τί λαλήσω.ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 12:49 Greek NT: Greek Orthodox Churchὅτι ἐγὼ ἐξ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐκ ἐλάλησα, ἀλλ’ ὁ πέμψας με πατὴρ αὐτός μοι ἐντολὴν ἔδωκε τί εἴπω καὶ τί λαλήσω· ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 12:49 Greek NT: Tischendorf 8th Ed. with Diacriticsὅτι ἐγὼ ἐξ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐκ ἐλάλησα, ἀλλ’ ὁ πέμψας με πατὴρ αὐτός μοι ἐντολὴν δέδωκεν τί εἴπω καὶ τί λαλήσω. ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 12:49 Greek NT: Stephanus Textus Receptus (1550, with accents)ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐξ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐκ ἐλάλησα ἀλλ' ὁ πέμψας με πατὴρ αὐτός μοι ἐντολὴν ἔδωκεν τί εἴπω καὶ τί λαλήσω ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 12:49 Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)οτι εγω εξ εμαυτου ουκ ελαλησα αλλ ο πεμψας με πατηρ αυτος μοι εντολην εδωκεν τι ειπω και τι λαλησω ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 12:49 Greek NT: Textus Receptus (1894)οτι εγω εξ εμαυτου ουκ ελαλησα αλλ ο πεμψας με πατηρ αυτος μοι εντολην εδωκεν τι ειπω και τι λαλησω John 12:49 Greek Study Bible (Apostolic / Interlinear) ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐξ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐκ ἐλάλησα, ἀλλ’ ὁ πέμψας με πατὴρ αὐτός μοι ἐντολὴν δέδωκεν τί εἴπω καὶ τί λαλήσω. KJV with Strong's  For I have not spoken of myself but the Father which sent me he gave me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak John 12:49 Hebrew Bibleכי אני לא מלבי דברתי כי אם אבי השלח אתי הוא צוני את אשר אמר ואת אשר אדבר׃ John 12:49 Aramaic NT: Peshittaܕܐܢܐ ܡܢ ܢܦܫܝ ܠܐ ܡܠܠܬ ܐܠܐ ܐܒܐ ܕܫܕܪܢܝ ܗܘ ܝܗܒ ܠܝ ܦܘܩܕܢܐ ܡܢܐ ܐܡܪ ܘܡܢܐ ܐܡܠܠ ܀ Latin: Biblia Sacra Vulgataquia ego ex me ipso non sum locutus sed qui misit me Pater ipse mihi mandatum dedit quid dicam et quid loquar

Six times to let sense through, and so attune to His love.

Gabrielle Bossis.
April 17 – 1948

Gabrielle's sentence gripped my wondering,
It takes some time to get her drift....

The syntax did not hang together.

There is magnetism in pondering, and in chewing the cud.

Gabrielle's words skip breaths. 

Then His voice listens, and His word switches on light.
'This is His love.'  'Is it so difficult to think of your Lord.'    

Gabrielle Bossis HE AND i

1948 April 17 - 

"Lord, I should so love to live Your words, 

and I am always myself, 

still my old self."

 "Is it so difficult to think of your Lord? Is it so difficult to talk with Him and to keep Him company?

When you meet someone in a  waiting room, don't you instinctively approach that person and in a kindly way do your best to make the time pass pleasantly for him? And if he were a poet, or a scholar, or someone great in the eyes of the world, wouldn't you go even further and show more joy?

My child, it’s a God who is waiting at the door of your heart, a God who is all yours and who is in you. You open to Him when you talk to Him, when you look at Him, when you try to take your thoughts off the things around you so that you may turn them to Him with the utmost tenderness.

Don't think that this is a fable I'm telling you. It is the simple reality. But as it's all happening in the shadow land where everything is imperfection, you find it difficult to believe, and you are slow in acting upon it. That is why I am like that person in the waiting room. If only you could approach Me more often with all your kind charm, you might suspect My long yearnings. You might think, 'He's waiting for the world.' Yes, My little child, for everyone, and for such a long, long time... I came to Bethlehem to seek them and I shall go on seeking them right to the end of the world.

This is the patience of God. This is His love. Then how could you ever understand? Yet it would be very sweet to believe, wouldn't it? So quicken your faith by telling Me about it often. More often. Don't get weary: you will hope more and love more. It's your great God who wants you greatly, My very frail little girl."

COMMENT: after Fr. Raymond's Homily, pre-echo of Pope Francis

Behind and prior to every vocation to the priesthood or the consecrated life there is always someone’s powerful and intense prayer: a grandmother’s, a grandfather’s, a mother’s, a father’s, a community’s... This is why Jesus said: “Pray to the Lord of the harvest,” that is, God the Father, “that he might send workers for the harvest!” (Matthew 9:38). 

Vocations are born in prayer and from prayer; and only in prayer can they persevere and bear fruit. I would like to underscore this today, which is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Let us pray in particular for the new priests of the Diocese of Rome, whom I had the joy to ordain this morning. And let us invoke Mary’s intercession. Today there were 10 young men who said “Yes” to Jesus and were ordained priests this morning... This is beautiful! Let us invoke Mary’s intercession, she who is the Woman of “Yes.” Mary said “Yes” her whole life! She learned to recognize Jesus’ voice from the time she carried him in her womb. Mary our Mother, help us to recognize Jesus’ voice always better and to follow it to walk along the path of life! Thank you.

---

ZENIT

The world seen from Rome

Daily dispatch - April 21, 2013

On the Good Sheperd

VATICAN CITY, April 21, 2013 (Zenit.org) - Here is the translation of the Holy Father's address to the faithful gathered at St. Peter's Square before and after the recitation of the Regina Caeli today. 

* * *

Good Shepherd Sunday - Homily Fr. Raymond

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Raymond . . .
To: . . .
Sent: Sunday, 21 April 2013, 10:16
Subject: Good Shepherd Sunday

Good Shepherd Sunday

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday.  

It is a day when we focus on the Church’s need for vocations; Vocations to continue the mission of Christ, the mission of the Good Shepherd in his Church.

The word vocation implies two people: God who calls and the one whom he calls; God  who calls and the one whom He wants to respond to his call.  To understand the meaning of the word “Vocation” in its religious sense we would do well to think first about its meaning in general.  There are many senses in which we can use the word “Vocation” when we consider our lives as a whole.  First there is the fundamental common basic vocation we all have to life and existence.  It is so important to pause for a moment to realise ourselves as all having this fundamental “Vocation”.  We didn’t just come into existence, we were called into existence.  And our lives on this earth, and indeed in heaven hereafter, are nothing but our acknowledgement of and response to this call; our response to this choice God made to call us into existence.  The Psalmist puts it very neatly when he sings “I thank you, Lord, for the wonder of my being.”

Each of us is like a song, a melody; a song sung by our creator into the universe.  God doesn’t just  create us and set us down and go off and do something else.  Just as the song ceases as soon as the singer stops singing, so would we cease to exist if God forgot us for an instant.  But then, after this first basic “Vocation” to our existence there come other vocations from God, other ‘movements’ in the great symphony of life.  These “Vocations” are many and varied.  One of the most basic and primary ones is, of course, the “Vocation” to marriage and family.  In our society, the couple may think that they alone have chosen each other, but Jesus tells us differently: “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”  Even though they don’t realise it or acknowledge it, it is God who has called them to be together. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder." In that understanding, every marriage is an arranged marriage, arranged by the Creator himself; and even if one or other of the parties to the marriage is unfaithful to it, God is always faithful to it.  It is always His Marriage and God is such a jealous God.

Much more obviously a vocation from God, however, is the call to the priesthood or the religious life.  This vocation, this call, is a call to dedicate one’s life in a special and exclusive way, not to another human person, but to the knowledge and love and service of God and his Church.

This is the meaning of the word “Vocation” which we are considering today. It is a word which speaks of the very life blood of the Church.  It is a fundamental factor in her very existence.  Without it She cannot survive, hence the great importance of prayer for vocations to the priesthood and the religious life in the Church.

David Torkington 'clarity of thought and openness of expression'

David Torkington

COMMENT:

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: William W. . . .
To: Donald. . . . .
Sent: Saturday, 20 April 2013, 23:09
Subject: [Blog] Evening Lectio - David Torkington

  

Dear Father Donald,

 

Thank you for a truly delightful discovery, the writing and the blog of David Torkington. I am very attracted by his clarity of thought and openness of expression, and will indeed follow this up for myself. 

 

- - - - -

 

I have made a book discovery (of a thousand-and-one gems) in the 2nd hand book shop - "Encyclopedia of Theology, the concise Sacramentum Mundi, edited by Karl Rahner", Burns and Oates, 1975 (3rd edition 1981). It has the most superb 'essays' on 'every possible' topic by names that make me blink. You will most likely have the book (or the full Sacramentum Mundi) but just in case - and for the joy of sharing my discovery, the cover reads: 

"It offers more than 1800 pages of thought and information on the major themes of traditional and modern theology. Edited by Professor Karl Rahner, it aims to provide a basic text presenting the findings of modern scholarly thought and research into the main themes. It draws on the work of an international team of 600 theologians, exegetes and specialists in various fields, and contains major articles dependent on contributions by more than 200 experts in the natural and human sciences. It draws on the great standard works 'Sacramentum Mundi', 'Lexikon fur Theologie und Kirche' and 'Theologisches Taschenlexikon', and offers in addition important articles that have never previously appeared in English as well as original discussions of certain key topics...many of these Essays have been written by Professor Rahner himself." 

The Tablet summed it up nicely: "A modestly priced theological library". My copy took me two visits to pluck up the courage to buy, but on the second visit I just couldn't put it down despite the natural humility of a layman in the face of such learning, and the cost £12, but I see that Amazon's price is far higher: 

Rahner Concise
Encyclopedia 1975

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Encyclopedia-Theology-Concise-Sacramentum-Mundi/dp/0860120066/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366492690&sr=1-1&keywords=encyclopedia+of+theology+karl+rahner

 

To have a book of such Essays is like having a seat at the back of a series of lectures! A privileged purchase. SO much to understand, such enrichment desired.

 

Delighting in David Torkington's very personal writing, and in all you present on your Blog, thank you Father.

 

. . . in Our Risen Lord,

William