The most profound essence of my (human) nature is that I am capable of receiving God.
- St. Augustine
(And God's wants us to do so.)
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GN 17:3-9; PS 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
JN 8:51-59
Jesus said to the Jews:
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever keeps my word will never see death."
So the Jews said to him,
"Now we are sure that you are possessed.
Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,
'Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.'
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?
Or the prophets, who died?
Who do you make yourself out to be?"
Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;
but it is my Father who glorifies me,
of whom you say, 'He is our God.'
You do not know him, but I know him.
And if I should say that I do not know him,
I would be like you a liar.
But I do know him and I keep his word.
Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;
he saw it and was glad."
So the Jews said to him,
"You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?"
Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM."
So they picked up stones to throw at him;
but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.
Reflection on the Scriptures |
In today’s gospel the Jews were going through the same emotions that I did when I first heard that there was no Santa Claus. It is easy to be judgmental of the Jews, but they reacted as many of us do when our long held beliefs are put into question. Their three D’s might have sounded something like this:
- Denial - everyone dies that has been proven time and time again, how can Jesus say that whoever keeps his word will never die
- Dismissal - Jesus is crazy, he said he met Abraham, that just isn’t logical, Abraham died long before this character came on the scene
- Deflection - this needs to go away because it is so confusing, so let’s get Jesus out of the way by throwing stones
The dialogue between Jesus and the Jews in today’s gospel calls us to move from three D thinking and replace it with three A’s. Rather than denial, we are being called to accept. Embracing God’s unending love for us can be difficult, especially when the voice in our head tells us we are unworthy, but it is always there for us. Our job is to accept and even surrender to the fact
that no matter what God's love will prevail.
by Ann Mausback
Revelations of Divine Love
- by Julian of Norwich
Fourteenth Revelation, Chapter 57
“In Christ our two natures are united”
I saw that our nature is in God whole: in which [whole nature of Manhood] He maketh diversities flowing out of Him to work His will: whom Nature keepeth, and Mercy and Grace restoreth and fulfilleth. And of these none shall perish: for our nature that is the higher part is knit to God, in the making; and God is knit to our nature that is the lower part, in our flesh-taking: and thus in Christ our two natures are
oned. For the Trinity is comprehended in Christ, in whom our higher part is grounded and rooted; and our lower part the Second Person hath taken: which nature first to Him was made-ready. For I saw full surely that all the works that God hath done, or ever shall, were fully known to Him and aforeseen from without beginning. And for Love He made Mankind, and for the same Love would be Man.
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