Garden of Transformation

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to act upon our experience of intimate contact with Jesus to announce the fullness of life to the people in our environment. 

Contact in the Garden

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents the First Converts in Jerusalem.

* [2:38] Repent and be baptized: repentance is a positive concept, a change of mind and heart toward God reflected in the actual goodness of one’s life. It is in accord with the apostolic teaching derived from Jesus (Acts 2:42) and ultimately recorded in the four gospels. Luke presents baptism in Acts as the expected response to the apostolic preaching about Jesus and associates it with the conferring of the Spirit (Acts 1:5; 10:44–48; 11:16). (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 33 praises the Greatness and Goodness of God.

* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene.

* [20:11–18] This appearance to Mary is found only in John, but cf. Mt 28:8–10 and Mk 16:9–11.

* [20:16] Rabbouni: Hebrew or Aramaic for “my master.”

* [20:17] Stop holding on to me: see Mt 28:9, where the women take hold of his feet. I have not yet ascended: for John and many of the New Testament writers, the ascension in the theological sense of going to the Father to be glorified took place with the resurrection as one action. This scene in John dramatizes such an understanding, for by Easter night Jesus is glorified and can give the Spirit. Therefore his ascension takes place immediately after he has talked to Mary. In such a view, the ascension after forty days described in Acts 1:1–11 would be simply a termination of earthly appearances or, perhaps better, an introduction to the conferral of the Spirit upon the early church, modeled on Elisha’s being able to have a (double) share in the spirit of Elijah if he saw him being taken up (same verb as ascending) into heaven (2 Kgs 2:9–12). To my Father and your Father, to my God and your God: this echoes Ru 1:16: “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” The Father of Jesus will now become the Father of the disciples because, once ascended, Jesus can give them the Spirit that comes from the Father and they can be reborn as God’s children (Jn 3:5). That is why he calls them my brothers. (John, CHAPTER 20 | USCCB, n.d.)

Larry Gillick, S.J. comments that in today’s gospel from John, Jesus is presented as appearing to Mary who holds on to Jesus after firstly had thought him to be a “gardener”.

We pray today with the Divine Gardener Who has embraced His Humanity and in His Resurrection, divinely embraces our humanity in His new garden. He talks to this woman with her arms around Jesus’ feet. He doesn’t banish her, but missions, sends, invites, her, Mary, to be the first announcer of the Good News. Intimacy here, is temporary, real and as with all experiences of intimacy, shared to be re-shared. In the text, Mary does not resist or ask questions about anything. She is missioned to share with His companions who, like Adam and Eve, were hiding out of fear and shame. Intimacy is meant to be fruitful.

The Gardener sends Mary to His (com-pan-ions) each day of His Eucharistic embrace of our Humanity. As with His meeting His mother and this first-sent woman, we shared the “Bread”, the Latin word is (panish) so companions are those who “bread-with). This Bread, this intimacy is meant to be sent within us and then outside of us. (Gillick, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Easter Alleluia,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Because there are these two periods of time - the one that now is, beset with the trials and troubles of this life, and the other yet to come, a life of everlasting serenity and joy - we are given two liturgical seasons, one before Easter and the other after. The season before Easter signifies the troubles in which we live here and now, while the time after Easter which we are celebrating at present signifies the happiness that will be ours in the future. What we commemorate before Easter is what we experience in this life; what we celebrate after Easter points to something we do not yet possess. This is why we keep the first season with fasting and prayer; but now the fast is over and we devote the present season to praise. Such is the meaning of the Alleluia we sing." (excerpt from commentary on Psalm 148, 1-2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 2:36-41 comments that in his 1975 apostolic exhortation on evangelization, Pope St. Paul VI described it this way: “The Holy Spirit places on [the evangelizer’s] lips the words which he could not find by himself, and at the same time the Holy Spirit predisposes the soul of the hearer to be open and receptive to the Good News” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 75).

Never underestimate the power of the Spirit! He is always with you, ready to give you courage and boldness. And he always goes ahead of you, preparing the hearts of the people you will meet today. The more you learn to yield to him, the more powerfully you’ll see him work.

“Holy Spirit, teach me how to share the power and promise of the gospel!” (Meditation on Acts 2:36-41, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the account of the proclamation of Peter of the kerygma that called for baptism and forgiveness of sins in which a large number of people responded. The two angels with Mary Magdalene in the Tomb represent the number required to give witness. Friar Jude notes that when the Good Shepherd calls our name, we recognize Him as Mary, proto-apostle did in the Garden.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Author Debie Thomas who describes why our belief in Jesus’ resurrection matters.

In other words, I believe in heaven because I believe in God’s salvation for the children who have died and will die in elementary school classrooms because the United States worships guns. For the millions around the world who died of the coronavirus before vaccines were developed. For Black, brown, Indigenous, gay, and transgender Americans who live in perpetual fear of violence and recrimination on our streets. For the young people who live under the shadow of mental illnesses that modern medicine can’t yet alleviate. For casualties of war around the world. For people in chronic pain…. For all these people … I need to know that, while we have every obligation to alleviate suffering in this world, the salvation of God’s precious children does not, finally, depend upon our clumsy efforts.… (Rohr, n.d.)

We, like Mary Magdalene, are to announce our experience of intimacy with the Love of Christ as we live out our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/2?36 

Gillick, L. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/040224.html 

John, CHAPTER 20 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/20?11 

Meditation on Acts 2:36-41. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/04/02/928855/ 

Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/33?4 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Resurrection Fuels Hopeful Action. CAC Daily Meditations. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/resurrection-fuels-hopeful-action/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). I Have Seen the Lord! Daily Scripture net. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=apr2 

Beyond Full Life Now

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate how we receive and react to Jesus' promise of full and eternal life.

Journey beyond

 

The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians underlines the importance of the Resurrection of the Dead.

 * [15:12–19] Denial of the resurrection (1 Cor 15:12) involves logical inconsistencies. The basic one, stated twice (1 Cor 15:13, 16), is that if there is no such thing as (bodily) resurrection, then it has not taken place even in Christ’s case. * [15:17–18] The consequences for the Corinthians are grave: both forgiveness of sins and salvation are an illusion, despite their strong convictions about both. Unless Christ is risen, their faith does not save.1

Psalm 17 is  a prayer for deliverance from persecutors.

 * [Psalm 17] A lament of an individual unjustly attacked. Confident of being found innocent, the psalmist cries out for God’s just judgment (Ps 17:1–5) and requests divine help against enemies (Ps 17:6–9a). Those ravenous lions (Ps 17:9b–12) should be punished (Ps 17:13–14). The Psalm ends with a serene statement of praise (Ps 17:15). The Hebrew text of Ps 17:3–4, 14 is uncertain.2

In the Gospel of Luke, some women accompany Jesus.

 * [8:1–3] Luke presents Jesus as an itinerant preacher traveling in the company of the Twelve and of the Galilean women who are sustaining them out of their means. These Galilean women will later accompany Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and become witnesses to his death (Lk 23:49) and resurrection (Lk 24:9–11, where Mary Magdalene and Joanna are specifically mentioned; cf. also Acts 1:14). The association of women with the ministry of Jesus is most unusual in the light of the attitude of first-century Palestinian Judaism toward women. The more common attitude is expressed in Jn 4:27, and early rabbinic documents caution against speaking with women in public.3

Andy Alexander, S.J. asks why the women were so very faithful to him. When almost all the apostles fled, it was these women who were there with him to Calvary. It was Mary, "from whom he drove seven demons," who is, according to the fourth gospel, the one Jesus first called to proclaim the good news of the resurrection to his apostles.

 

So, when I watch Jesus today, travelling down the road with this unconventional group of women and men, I smile and I feel challenged. I smile because he is so attractive, so inspiring, so courageous, so free, so unafraid to place his trust in God without self-doubt. And, I'm challenged because I know that to be drawn to be with him is to be drawn to be like him. I can examine myself today, asking myself many questions and asking for many graces. With whom do I journey down the road? Do I just hang around a group of "like-minded" people? Do I avoid people who are "not well" or who are obvious "sinners"? Am I a healer or a divider? Do I cling to old wounds, old categories, self-protective ways of thinking and living? What are my attitudes toward women, really? How far away do I stay from the "untouchable" people in my faith community, my city, our world? How many of the choices of my daily life place me in solidarity with the people Jesus befriended?4

Don Schwager quotes “Everyone has something to give,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

 

"Frankly, even the poor have something they can share with others. Let one lend feet to the lame, another become the eyes of the blind, another visit the sick, and another bury the dead. These are the things that everyone can do. Lastly, bear one another's burdens, and so you shall fulfill the law of Christ." (excerpt from Sermon 41,9)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 comments that because God raised him up, our faith that the tough situations in our lives can turn around is not in vain. On the contrary, we have the right to hold onto our faith that Jesus will bring good out of any situation. Remember, Jesus’ resurrection is more than a doctrine. It’s his power, working in our life, even now.

 

We all have experienced situations that feel like mountains that won’t move. It could be a difficult family relationship, a loved one who has strayed from the faith, or a struggle with a persistent temptation. But these are also precisely the situations in which Jesus wants to bring his resurrection power! He wants to breathe faith and hope into our minds and hearts and to encourage us to not give up believing that he is working, even if we can’t see or sense anything on the surface.6

Friar Jude Winkler explains the difficulty of Greeks and Stoic philosophers with resurrection. The Gospel of Luke pairs women examples and men examples in relationship with Jesus. Friar Jude reminds us not to confuse Mary Magdalene with the “sinful woman” welcomed by Jesus (Luke 7:36-50).

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that if he were to name the Christian religion, he would probably call it “The Way of the Wound.” Jesus agrees to be the Wounded One, and we Christians are these strange believers in a wounded healer. We come to God not through our strength but through our weakness. We learn wisdom and come to God not by doing it all right but through doing it all wrong.

 Only the Great Self, the True Self, the Godself, can carry the anxiety within us. The little self can’t do it. People who don’t pray can’t live the Gospel because the self is not strong enough to hold the anxiety and the fear. If we do not transform our pain, we will always transmit it. Always someone else has to suffer because we don’t know how to suffer; that’s what it comes down to. Most people are like electric wires: what comes in is what goes out. Someone calls us a name, and we call them a name back. That is, most people pass on the same energy that is given to them. Now compare an electric wire to those big, grey transformers that you see on utility poles. Dangerous current or voltage comes in, but something happens inside that grey box and what comes out is, in fact, now helpful and productive. That is exactly what Jesus does with suffering.7

We realize a path to full life in our relationship with Jesus that promises to be eternal.

 

References

1	(n.d.). 1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/15
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 17 | USCCB. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/17
3	(n.d.). Luke, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/8
4	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries .... Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture .... Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2020&date=sep18
6	(2020, September 18). 24th Week in Ordinary Time - The Word Among Us. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://wau.org/meditations/2020/09/18/176116/
7	(2018, October 17). Transforming Pain — A Daily Meditation by Fr. Richard Rohr. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://cac.org/transforming-pain-2018-10-17/