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| Anne Henderson, Sculptor,
1963 - 1964 ‘They knew him in the Breaking of Bread’ (carved
stone) Refectory, Nunraw Monastery, Haddington, Scotland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Henderson |
Fifth In
Ordinary Time Tuesday
Night Office
First Reading 1 Corinthians 2:1-16
From a homily by Saint John Chrysostom
We impart the wisdom of God in a mystery. A mystery
does not need to be proved, but simply proclaimed. It would not be a wholly
divine mystery if you added to it anything of your own. Besides, the reason
it is called a mystery is that we cannot penetrate its depths: what we see is
one thing, what we believe is another. In this lies the very nature of our
mysteries.
My reactions to them
are therefore different from the reactions of an unbeliever. When I hear that
Christ was crucified I am filled with amazement at his love for us, but to
the unbeliever this shows weakness. When I hear that Christ became a servant
I am astonished at his solicitude for us, but to the unbeliever this is a
disgrace. When I hear that Christ died I marvel at his power, since he was
not conquered by death, but instead put an end to death. The unbeliever,
however, sees Christ's death as a sign of helplessness.
The unbeliever regards
the resurrection as pure fiction, but I accept the proven facts and venerate
God's saving plan. In baptism the unbeliever sees only water, but I perceive
not only what meets the eye, but also the purification of the soul by the
Holy Spirit. The unbeliever thinks only the body is cleansed, but I believe
that the soul also is made pure and holy, and I am reminded of the tomb, the
resurrection, our sanctification, justification, redemption, adoption, and
inheritance, of the kingdom of heaven and the gift of the Holy Spirit. I
judge outward appearances not by what I see but by the eyes of the mind. When
the body of Christ is mentioned, the words have one meaning for me, another
for the unbeliever.
Just as the letters on
a page are meaningless to a child who has not learned to read, so it is with
the Christian mystery. Unbelievers are deaf to what they hear, whereas the
experience of the Spirit empowers believers to perceive its hidden meaning.
Paul made this clear when he said: Our preaching is obscure, but only for
those on the way to perdition. Something proclaimed everywhere without being
understood by those lacking an upright spirit is undoubtedly a mystery. For
to the extent that we are able to receive it, it is revealed not by human
wisdom but by the Holy Spirit. Rightly, therefore, is the mystery said to be
a secret, for even we believers have not been given a completely clear and
accurate knowledge of it.
As Paul said: Our
knowledge and our prophesying are imperfect. We see now as it were a dim
reflection in a mirror, but then face to face. This is why he said: We impart
the wisdom of God in a mystery predestined by God before all ages for our
glory.
Responsory Jn 14:26; 1 Cor 2:12
The Advocate, the Holy
Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, + he will teach you everything,
and remind you of all that I have told you.
+. We have received
not the spirit of the world, but the spirit that comes from God, to teach us
to understand the gifts he has given us. t He will teach ...
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| 25 miles distance from Nunraw. View Arthurs Seat, Edinburgh, on right Forth Bridge |
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