In The Details of The Gospel

Sometimes, it is easy to overlook a detail in the Gospel, especially when one is reading a dramatic piece of Christ's Life.

Take, for example, the trial of Christ before the Sanhedrin.

Today, because I experienced a particularly hectic day yesterday, partly from the Net being on and off for over 24 hours and partly for other reasons beyond my control, I meditated on this passage from Matthew 26:

57 But they holding Jesus led him to Caiphas the high priest, where the scribes and the ancients were assembled.

58 And Peter followed him afar off, even to the court of the high priest. And going in, he sat with the servants, that he might see the end.

59 And the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death:

60 And they found not, whereas many false witnesses had come in. And last of all there came two false witnesses:

61 And they said: This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and after three days to rebuild it.

62 And the high priest rising up, said to him: Answerest thou nothing to the things which these witness against thee?

63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest said to him: I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us if thou be the Christ the Son of God.

64 Jesus saith to him: Thou hast said it. Nevertheless I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

65 Then the high priests rent his garments, saying: He hath blasphemed; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now you have heard the blasphemy:

66 What think you? But they answering, said: He is guilty of death.

67 Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him: and others struck his face with the palms of their hands,

68 Saying: Prophesy unto us, O Christ, who is he that struck thee?

The detail is that Jesus held his peace. 

Several things came to my mind while thinking of Jesus at peace while people yelled at Him, spit on Him, and slapped Him in the face.

First, He had peace amidst this chaos and hatred because He was totally dependent on the Father and the Holy Spirit. His life included a complete trust in God the Father, and the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, even in this scene of chaos, rested in peace within the Trinity. 

We all must come to this realization of the Indwelling of the Trinity given to us at baptism. This is our call to be holy in the world, even in chaos. Only in that Indwelling is there a deep, sustained peace.

Second, Christ was completely in the Will of God the Father. He had humanly willed what the Divine will desired. There was no conflict between Christ's humanity and His divinity, nor between His will and the will of the Father. 

For us, this means that only in a complete giving over of our wills can we find peace in the midst of chaos. Anxiety arises out of fear, and fear reveals a lack of trust not only in Providence taking care of us, but in the perfect plan of God's Will for us. Anxiety, which is a sin, causes us to make bad choices. We fall into self-perservation mode, rather than in trusting God, if we are anxious. 

Third, Christ did not have His plan for ordering the world into which He came, but submitted Himself to our chaotic world of sin and death, in order to defeat death. His comfort was not in re-ordering His environment, but responding in love to overcome to root of evil by sacrificing Himself on the cross.

Again, for us, this means that we cannot always control our environment and make a comfortable nest for ourselves. Americans, especially, pride themselves on creating the "perfect" home, car, dinner, etc., forgetting that this false world created by humans is totally temporary, and, too often, purely materialistic, not imbued with any spiritual life. We think that if we control our environment, we can find peace. Not so. We cannot shut out chaos, or evil, but must transcend both.

How?

By allowing God to perfect us, to purify us, to take away all our sins and imperfections, we can come to the peace which passes all understanding.

Jesus held his peace. As I struggle with a third day of constant Net interruptions, and a lack of peace in my immediate surroundings, having to endure another move, when I face, again, downright persecution from those who should be closest to me, and when I am made aware, through grace, with the depth of my own sins, I beg God for this peace of the Indwelling of the Trinity.

It is only when standing before the Sanhedrin that we finally see the true nobility and depth of God's sacrifice for us. All Christ had at that moment was His Own peace.

We may very well find ourselves in similar circumstances. Christ held His peace throughout the entire Passion. Imagine. I ask myself, "Could I maintain such deep peace in this chaos of evil?"

Yesterday, when I had to face spiritual chaos of a kind I had not experienced since 2011, because of intense spiritual warfare, and then, on top of that, the realization of my own sins and imperfections, I could have been lost in anxiety. But, instead, God allowed me to grow in humility, in the awareness of my complete dependence on Him, and, in the importance of denying my will and accepting, totally, His Will for my life.

Jesus held his peace. May He, in His mercy, teach us, quickly, how to hold ours when chaos and hatred surround us.

Mysterious Words of Christ

Today, we hear Christ telling the apostles at the Last Supper that He will be glorified. This is stated clearly after Christ shows that Judas will betray Him.

Two mysterious things happen almost simultaneously. Satan enters Judas because Judas has given himself over to Satan in order to betray Christ. He is now possessed, by willingly giving over his free will, his decision of treachery to the dark side of evil. Those of us who have been betrayed by loved ones or trusted friends join with Christ in His suffering.

It is as if Satan and Judas have made a pact--Christ's death for Judas' soul. Judas cooperates with Evil to bring down Christ, the Son of God. But, Satan does not see the end of the story.

The second mysterious occurrence is announced by Christ in these words said after Judas leaves:

 When he therefore was gone out, Jesus said: Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

32 If God be glorified in him, God also will glorify him in himself; and immediately will he glorify him.

Christ speaks of His glory, and that the Father is glorified because of Him, Christ. God gives the glory back to Christ in line 32, as the Father and the Son are One.

What is this glory? I think the glory is threefold. 

First of all, the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, the Passion, begins in this Upper Room with the Institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood.

Christ and the Father are glorified both in the Mass and in the priesthood. The apostles become each an alter Christus, the other Christs, bringing the Body and Blood of Christ to all Catholics down to this present day through the apostolic succession. Indeed, these two new rites, new sacraments, Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders, bring glory to God, to Christ, to the Church. 

Second, Christ is glorified, and therefore, glorifies the Father through His perfect obedient Passion and Death on the Cross, which is the New Passover, the freeing of all mankind from the bondage of eternal death and sin. Christ is the Second Adam, undoing the sin of Adam through suffering as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. God is glorified in His Son's redemption of all people. Freedom to be saints, to regain the lost innocence of Adam and Eve is given to all. The New Passover Lamb leads the New People of God through the new Red Sea of baptism, earned on the Cross by Christ. Christ is the New Adam, the New Moses, the New King David.

Third, Christ is glorified in His love for both the Father and all mankind, and this Love is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Ghost. The Trinity is glorified at this Last Supper, in Gethsemane, on Calvary, and finally, as shown to all the world, at the Resurrection.

So, now is the Son glorified...

John 13:

18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen. But that the scripture may be fulfilled: He that eateth bread with me, shall lift up his heel against me.

19 At present I tell you, before it come to pass: that when it shall come to pass, you may believe that I am he.

20 Amen, amen I say to you, he that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me.

21 When Jesus had said these things, he was troubled in spirit; and he testified, and said: Amen, amen I say to you, one of you shall betray me.

22 The disciples therefore looked one upon another, doubting of whom he spoke.

23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, and said to him: Who is it of whom he speaketh?

25 He therefore, leaning on the breast of Jesus, saith to him: Lord, who is it?

26 Jesus answered: He it is to whom I shall reach bread dipped. And when he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

27 And after the morsel, Satan entered into him. And Jesus said to him: That which thou dost, do quickly.

28 Now no man at the table knew to what purpose he said this unto him.

29 For some thought, because Judas had the purse, that Jesus had said to him: Buy those things which we have need of for the festival day: or that he should give something to the poor.

30 He therefore having received the morsel, went out immediately. And it was night.

31 When he therefore was gone out, Jesus said: Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

32 If God be glorified in him, God also will glorify him in himself; and immediately will he glorify him.