Figuring it out

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today encourage us to clarify our understanding of the Mystery of the Nature of Jesus and to be prepared to use this enlightenment to prepare for the return of Jesus, in our lives, to transform our being through death. Friar Jude Winkler comments that the decision of Paul to preach about the cross of Jesus to the Corinthians follows his difficulty in Athens when he attempted to reach his audience through philosophy. The affinity of the Greek scholars for philosophical discussion seems to have created a situation where the message of Christ is placed with all the other world views in a collection of interesting topics. This is a continuing fault in our times as those who proclaim the sameness of religious thought neglect to consider the implications of the Cross. Paul refutes this assessment of his message and reorients our heart to the Crucifixion where the Father calls us to see love greater than the conquering Messiah in the expectation of the Jewish mind and Divine life in human flesh presenting intimacy deeper than the spiritual comfort of Greek gods. The Gospel of Matthew is impatient with those of us who ‘have to get our act together’ before we “die with Christ” as we transcend to the “wedding feast” of rising with Him. Matthew exhorts us to make sure we have the “oil for our lamps” which will prepare us to meet the Bridegroom.