Subversive, Alive and Outrageous

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today provide a challenge to those who would seek to "domesticate Jesus", a phrase used by Fr Robert Barron in his outstanding Catholicism video series. The Acts of the Apostles contains language which confronts the authority of the Roman Emperor. Fr Barron cites the final proclamation in today's passage from Acts 'He is the Son of God' (Acts 9:20) as ascribing to Jesus a title claimed by the Emperor. Friar Jude Winkler observes that Luke may be presenting the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem as being guilty of overstepping their authority in sending Saul to Damascus which crossed provincial lines at the time. The conversion of Saul and the in filling with the Holy Spirit after Baptism by Ananias which occurs after his three days in the tomb of darkness and fasting launch the ministry of the "Apostle to the Gentiles". The fire and conviction of Paul which is recorded in Scripture and evidenced in the growth of the followers of the Way is, as Fr Barron and Friar Jude point out only possible as a consequence of an intimate encounter and experience of the Resurrected Christ. The Transcendent Son calls out to people of the world to live within Him as He lives within the Father. The communion of Divine and humanity, the essence of Jesus, is the relationship which is outrageous and scandalous to our desire sometimes to keep God at a comfortable distance. The separation between people and God sought by Jesus is the that of food from the one who consumes it. The Bread, the Blood and the recipient are One. The gospel of John knocks us from our horse today as we contemplate the deep Mystery of the Real Presence offered us by Jesus today.