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Daily Scripture

+ 5th Week in Ordinary Time

It still has meaning.

1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13 Psalm 132:6-7, 8-10 Mark 6:53-56

The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary, the holy of holies of the temple. There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tablets which Moses had put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel. [1 Kings 8:6, 8]
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In recent years there has been much discussion in liturgical circles about the proper location of the tabernacle in the worship space. The directives implementing the Constitution on the Liturgy by the Second Vatican Council prescribed that the tabernacle be located in prominent location in the church or chapel, preferably in a chapel dedicated to the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament and appropriate for veneration. In any case, it was not to be located on the altar table used for the celebration of the Eucharist. As a result in many churches renovations, the tabernacle was moved to the ‘side altar’ previously used for the veneration of the Blessed Virgin or St. Joseph and in some churches, it was placed on the old altar previously used for Mass. In situations the old altar was replaced with a permanent pedestal on which the tabernacle was placed.

In liturgical matters, nothing is simple. Those of a more conservative disposition insisted that the location of the Tabernacle on the side altar reduced the status of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist thereby diminishing its meaning in the devotional life of the faithful. Others of a more liberal persuasion opined that in fact, the location in a separate chapel within the church assigned to the sacrament greater prominence thereby increasing the devotional aspect. Moreover, in as much as an emphasis of the ‘action’ of the Mass as the repetition of the “Lord’s Supper” was promoted by the Council, it seemed to liturgists that the location of the tabernacle in the main sanctuary behind the free standing Eucharist table would compete with the ‘action’ of the Mass as a sacred meal.

The most recent prescriptions in the United States provide that the tabernacle be located in the main sanctuary on suitably ornate pedestal. It is ironic that in the major basilicas including the basilica of St. Peter in Rome, the tabernacle is located on a side altar that is not very prominent.

Whatever the location, it should not be a bone of contention worthy of a liturgical battle. The public and private devotion to the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is rooted in the long tradition of the Church and should not be disparaged. In the same way in which the tablets of stone on which the Ten Commandments was symbolic of God’s presence in the temple, so too, the reservation of the Eucharist Bread has been one of the longest-standing practices of the devotional life of Catholics. It is intended to extend the meaning and the effects of the Eucharistic celebration into the life of the faithful who continue to spend time in prayerful meditation on the mysteries of the life of Jesus not the least of which is his faithfulness unto death on the cross for the salvation of the world. The two aspects of Eucharist need not be in competition. The ‘Mass’ continues to be considered a “sacrificial” meal. But we need to be clear that its connection with the passion and death of Christ even as the lamb of God is not to suggest that his death was mandated to satisfy and angry God. That in my opinion is not an appropriate application of Old Testament sacrifices. No, Jesus sacrificial death was the completion of his entire sacrificial life of unqualified and indiscriminate love in the same way as the sacrificial love of partners in marriage offer their sacrificial love to one another or in the manner that Mother Teresa offered her live in sacrificial service to victims of poverty in the streets of Calctta. It is in this sense that devotion to the Eucharist in the tabernacle takes its extended meaning.

During the celebration of the Eucharist, we become what we eat. Through our devotion to the Eucharist reserved in the tabernacle, we are reminded that the Eucharistic presence in our mind, heart and soul extends into all the good works of our lives with the hope that we too will always think and act with the same sacrificial love as did Jesus in his earthly life.

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time 'C'

Saturday June 19, 2010

Who Is Jesus For You?

There are still some folks who live with the assumption that Jesus was secure in his identity from “the age of reason.” Some go further with their conviction that Jesus was already in touch with his divinity at Bethlehem.

In truth, Jesus had to search for his identity and was not fully aware of his divine nature until the end of his earthly life. This is not to suggest in any sense that Jesus was not in touch with his unique call or that he did not come to an awareness of the gravity of his mission and of its origin in the God whom he came to know as “Father.”

It is difficult for us ‘post graduate’ and I might add, ‘post modern’ Catholics to appreciate fully the identity of Jesus and the implications of his mysterious relationship with “the Father” as well as his unique mission as “Son of God.” We succumb to fundamentalism which keeps us imprisoned in naïve and childish notions of a magical Jesus who keeps his divinity masked in his humanity. On the other hand, we can give into a rationalism that explains away the mystery of his divinity turning miracles into illusions or magical tricks to attract curious crowds. But this is a topic for another homily on another occasion.

I think it’s fair to say that most of us have carved our own icons of Jesus and over time they have changed. No doubt our earliest images were based on bible stories narrated by parents and teachers. They were exaggerated to be sure—something like nursery tales that engendered a sense of ‘at homeness’ as it were. Despite parental warnings that “God sees all things,” our parents did not want their children to be afraid of God or Jesus.

As we grew in age and wisdom—the assistance of God’s grace notwithstanding—we began to experience the effects of ‘original sin’ – oue human inclination to spiritual blindness. The stories changed and with them our images of Jesus. Parents and teachers were not shy about telling us how displeased Jesus was with our behavior and might even use a quote or two—out of context, of course—to demonstrate Jesus’ disappointment with our rebellious attitudes. It’s no wonder that our relationship with Jesus during our teen years was strained or less than comforting. I suppose that’s when we learned to bargain with God for special favors.

Just as the maturing process is never complete, so too our images of Jesus are never complete. Faith is never separate from human experience. As much as faith may shape our human experiences, our human experiences also shape our faith. Perhaps it is more accurate to state that faith provides a lens through which human experiences take on meanings far beyond the human.

Who among us cannot relate to Jesus on the mount of temptation or in the Garden of Gethsemane when faced with life and death decisions, torturous experiences demanding integrity of soul? Or when physical or emotional pain is too much to bear, we turn to the Christ of Calvary. Our identification with the suffering Christ takes the edge off our pain and even makes it redemptive.

God does not will oil spills or suffering or pain—not even the suffering that his Son endured unto death. Rather, God willed that Jesus remain faithful no matter what the cost and that we remain faithful even in the face oil spills and other hardships that strike us with little or no notice. God promised that he would be there for us and he has fulfilled that promise over and over again. The redemptive nature of suffering is not justified by pain but by faith. But if our partnership with God in Christ is real and intact, then in the midst of hardships we need to do all that is humanly moral and possible to make life work for one another. God will do the rest.

But we also look for images of the youthful Jesus who did not disdain play or pleasure. I have a portrait of Jesus, which we used for Antioch youth retreat weekends. I call it the “California Jesus.” It depicts a vibrant Jesus with disheveled hair as if he had just come off a surfboard. I’m not sure Jesus was a surfer but surely he must have enjoyed some downtime with his family and friends. Why not? This is may be the Jesus with whom teens may bargain before exams. “Be there for me Jesus and I’ll be there for you!”

Would it be outrageous to suggest that in this dialogue with Peter and the disciples it was Jesus intent to get feedback on his identity and mission? Or was he just testing them? I think it was a device by Luke to identify Jesus and to give Peter some prominence among the early followers of Christ. Nevertheless, Jesus surely needed feedback.

Would it be too bold to suggest that we like Jesus are in the process of discovering our divinity? Indeed, this is excessive but is not divinity our destiny? The great spiritual writers of our tradition do indeed suggest not only that we are destined to become one with God in heaven but that we have glimpses of that divinity at particular times during our earthly sojourn. “Where sin abounded, God’s grace did more abound.”

The Bible provides a variety of portraits of Jesus—all of them valid—for different times in Jesus life and for different times in our life as individuals and as a community.

Just as Jesus came to image God to humanity, we are called to image Jesus for others. In the words of the hymn attributed to Saint Teresa, “I have no hands but yours…”

Who is your Jesus for you? And who are you for Jesus and for others?