Jn 14:23-29
This Gospel, as set forth, seems to contain no types, or symbols. It is pure theology.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.
This portion seems to mean, "You can tell if you love God. It's simple: Do you keep the commandments?"
One of the things that has happned in my life is that I have met two very special kinds of people: People so wonderful and gentle that they seem to glow with goodness, almost. Also, I have met people in the role of deus ex machina.
"Deus ex machina" means "God from the machinery." It is a figure of speech which originated centuries ago when the stage hand, helping to run the curtain and the props from a catwalk above a stage, would lose his balance and come crashing to the stage floor in front of the crowd. He would get up, and sometimes try to fit into the play by pretending to be a god or angel descending from above to involve himself in human affairs. The figure of speech ultimately came to refer to those individuals we meet in the middle of desperate situations in every day life who, out of sheer kindness, save the day by their assistance.
Be a deus ex machina.
But not just in a single little adventure.
Do it all of the time. That doesn't mean, "Spend money." Don't worry -- God will supply resources.
Just be a bold builder.
“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.
There's an interesting line in Acts 13:2. Most Christians view the Holy Spirit as a kind of "quiet assister," who only very quietly "whispers" God's will to our minds, and only silently conveys God's strengthening grace to us. Acts 13:2 quotes the Holy Spirit aying something, as though He were a person standing there...
2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.”
Catholics today are deeply shook-up by the priest sex case crisis.
When Jesus said, "I will come back to you," John 14:29, "And I will be with you until the end of time," Matthew 28:20, He meant simply that, and knew that it would involve things like the current situation.
So, relax, and have faith!
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I think that I should add the following about the logic of the "do you love God" business at the top...
ReplyDeleteIf you love god, He loves you back with grace. The grace makes you disinclined to sin, and strong enough to avoid sin.
So, it's not that you "prove" your love to God by not sinning.
If you set out to do that, you'll sin, sin, sin, sin, sin!
Instead, do this.
With your cold, empty, sin-prone heart, make in intellectual decision to love the invisible Christian God.
Everything else -- including a disinclination to sin, and the strength to not sin -- will follow.
The horse follows the cart.