Terribly Transcendent

The text from the Gospel of John from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today reminds us of the stirring hymn “I am the bread of Life”. “He who comes to Me shall not hunger, He who believes in Me shall not thirst.” The transcendent promise of Jesus in the chorus for these lyrics and in the Gospel is ”And I will raise him up, And I will raise him up, And I will raise him up on the last day”. The Book of Acts recounts what may seem to be a terrible scenario. The heading “Saul Persecutes the Church” contains details of zealous persecution of the followers of the Way including imprisonment of women and children. As life experience often testifies the ‘resurrection’ follows death and the next heading in Acts reveals “Philip Preaches in Samaria”. The transcendent Presence is praised by the psalmist as “ He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him, who rules by his might for ever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations— let the rebellious not exalt themselves. (Psalm 66:6-7)”. He does raise us up! The ‘little resurrections’ are evident even before the ‘last day’.