Word to the Wise
Thursday, April 3, 2008 - Thursday in the Second Week of Easter
[Acts 5:27-33 and John 3:31-36]The one who comes from above is above all, the one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven is above all.......
One of the key interpretations of Jesus in the Gospel of John is that he is the one who has come from God and returns to God. The dualism of above/below is surmounted by Jesus who becomes the one who bridges the gap between God and human. This is a key image in the Dialogues of St. Catherine of Siena. Christ becomes "a bridge" - the way to the Father. Indeed he speaks of himself as "the Way, the Truth and the Life." Later in the gospel scripture for today, Jesus says, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life...." Scripture scholars call this "realized eschatology!" It means that eternal life is not just a future reality, it is a present reality because faith in Jesus is eternal life itself! If our idea of eternal life is rooted in images of white robes, feathered wings and golden harps, the notion of eternal life in our earthly life seems a bit far-fetched to put it mildly, especially with all the struggles that we have or that surround us. We may find it easier to accept the possibility that Jesus won a future eternal life for us after our physical death. But that is not what he is saying in this gospel. The traditional Catholic way of describing this access to eternal life is "sanctifying grace." St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that the new law of Christ is nothing other than the Holy Spirit working in our hearts through faith in Christ. All of these important theological realities can seem abstract even if we strongly believe in them. It requires a definite interior effort, matched by a life that reflects these values, to bring to consciousness the profound connection between earth and heaven that occurs in the believing person. It's not that we will glow in the dark or walk around in a spiritual daze all day. But it does provide a confidence in and a context for a Christian life. As Pope St. Leo put it, "Christian, consider your dignity!" AMEN
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