Bovines are mentioned numerous times throughout both Testaments in the Bible with most of the passages involving sheep and lambs, and a few specifically referencing goats. Most often sheep are portrayed in a positive light, such as in the parable Jesus told about the 100 sheep minus the one that wandered off, highlighting the great value of the lost sheep. But in other passages there are negative connotations about these animals with the implication that since sheep are rather stupid, (which they actually aren’t), they need to be shepherded wisely so that they do not go astray. A notable reference is in the “Judgment of the Nations” (Matthew 25:31-46) when Jesus said the sheep, representing the faithful people who loved selflessly, will be gathered at His right side (the blessing side) and the goats, those who do not love as they ought, will be on His left, implying they have been found wanting.* Indeed, humans are capable of making both good and bad choices, so that is why sheep and goats on His left and right were an apt example. However, let us remember that an important sheep reference was also applied to Jesus by John the Baptist when he pointed to Him while crying out, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” John’s announcement indicated that Jesus is the Lamb who will be sacrificed as atonement for our sins like the Passover lamb of the Exodus which was a sign of liberation from slavery (Ex. 12:1-20), but that Jesus is far greater: Jesus is the Son of God who chooses to die out of love for us, and then will rise victoriously, liberating us from slavery to sin and death. Today, the reference to Jesus as the Lamb of God is most prominent in the liturgy. During the Communion Rite the priest elevates the consecrated host and says, “Behold the Lamb of God….Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.” This proclamation is filled with great meaning. The word ‘blessed,’ used in the Beatitudes (Mt. 5:1-10) also means ‘happy’ or ‘holy.’ So now hear the priest’s words in another way: ‘happy are those called to the supper of the Lamb.’ And finally, reflect upon it this way: ‘Holy are those called to the supper of the Lamb.’ Do we often consider that this invitation to adore before we consume the Eucharist is implying that the Lamb of God is for His holy ones? Remember the ‘universal call to holiness’ which basically means that we were created to be holy, and through Baptism we are given what we need so that we might grow in that way. Thus, we are holy ground.** The Eucharist, then, is for those who are called to be holy, and simultaneously helps our growth in holiness. With this is mind, immediately after the priest elevates the consecrated host, we petition God to heal us of our sins so that we may truly be fitting recipients of this great gift. We say we are not worthy. No, we are not, but that is precisely why Jesus offers Himself to us: His loving presence makes us truly holy ground. Finally, we need to consider how we envision ourselves. We are not lowly. When Jesus took on our humanity, the Son of God did lower Himself to become one of us, but not in the sense that He somehow sullied His divinity, ‘holding His nose’ when He did so. Rather, He lowered Himself in the sense that the Immortal Almighty One took on our brokenness. Again, we are not lowly: God created us as the apple of His eye, the beloved of His heart whom He never ceases to love. The Psalmist says He made us “little less than the angels, and crowned with glory,” (Psalm 8:6); and again, “We are fearfully, wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14) If we were nothing but ‘lowly sheep,’ why would God have bothered saving us? He did so because we are absolutely precious to Him: His love is beyond anything we deserve or can comprehend. Thus, it would be good to reflect upon the words of the priest when he elevates the consecrated host and says, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Every time we hear these words we are invited to respond by acknowledging with gratitude that we are so richly blessed by the Eucharist, that we are invited to the happiness of entering into the inner life of the Lord through our prayer, and that this is part of what we absolutely need to become holy. (John 6:53) The Lamb of God brings us blessing, happiness, and holiness. Without Jesus coming into the world, without John the Baptizer identifying Him to his followers, and subsequently without Jesus offering Himself for us and given to us in bread and wine, we would indeed be lost like sheep without a shepherd. No, God did not lower Himself to us as if to something vile; rather, He wants to raise us up to Himself, to something glorious. In other words, God wants to make us holier, He wants us to shine in the way He always intended. If we ‘fill ourselves’ with the Body and Blood of Christ as often as possible, we will in fact be cooperating with His intention. When we finally enter Heaven at the appointed time, we will be able to stand around the banquet table of the Lord and hear: “Behold the Lamb of God!” Then we will see Him as He is and we will be seen as we are, made holy through His Body and Blood. And we will respond with glad cries of “Alleluia! Alleluia! All glory to the Lamb who has conquered sin and death! Alleluia!” May we receive the gift of the Eucharist with gratitude and joy! May we fill ourselves with Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ as often as possible! And may we indeed one day behold the Lamb of God! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace! ©Michele L. Catanese Notes: *Many ancient peoples, including the Jews, believed a superstition that the right side was the side of blessing and the left side was the side of cursing. As a result, everything from writing to drawing a sword from one’s belt had to be done with the right hand or it was considered cursed. Thus, in Jesus’ teaching metaphor, the sheep were to be gathered on His right and the goats on His left. **The universal call to holiness is a teaching found in chapter 5 of Lumen Gentium, (a document from Vatican II). You can find the document at https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html Images: 1. My photo, sheep grazing, taken in Matamata (in the north island), New Zealand. 2. Icon, El Buen Pastor, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. We must remember that Jesus is both Lamb of God and Good Shepherd. You can find this at fineartamerica.com/featured/el-buen-pastor-188-william-hart-mcnichols.html 3. Painting, Apple Tree 1, Gustav Klimt. (1912) We are the apple of God's eye: Psalm 17:8, Zechariah 2:8 4. Photo of a star cluster. (NASA) Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. When I taught Scripture to high school freshmen I began the Old Testament portion with a lesson which was intended to help them understand that the Scriptures are the Word of God, but that in getting the message across the writers were affected by the cultural/historical period in which they lived. Although the writers were inspired by God, they could only write through the lens of their own culture, era, personal limitations and talents. However, what was important was not the medium through which the message came, but rather it was the meaning within it. An example that helped was that of a group of blindfolded people who were asked to describe something put before them. One said whatever it was, it was small, thin, and bristly; the second disagreed, saying it was too large to get one’s arms around; another described it as wiggly, wet, and warm; another said it was indeed wiggly, but although soft, it was dry, not wet; and the last said it was hard and unbending. Though their messages were so disparate, all spoke the truth. The thing before them was an elephant with each of the ‘witnesses’ stationed at a different part of the great creature; therefore what they experienced was indeed truth, but each had a different, limited perspective. Together they had a better understanding of the elephant, while alone they could not even agree, let alone correctly assess what it was. Of course, our infinite God cannot be fully known, but the fact remains that each perspective of a particular writer contains truth; descriptions and titles for God are far from exhaustive, but they can offer insight. Therefore, it is important for us to realize that there is always more to the reality we perceive before us, and there is always more contained within every relationship we have, especially in the one we have with God. There is always more.* That there is more also holds true for the Blessed Virgin Mary. In life, Mary’s participation in the will of God involved so much more than she could have fathomed, but with courageous trust and in great love, she gave all she could, offering herself to God each day. After living a full life of many joys and sorrows while praying, pondering, accompanying Jesus, and serving, Mary died. But because of her role and the way she humbly did the will of the Father, God gifted Mary with the immediate reunion of her body and soul after the moment of her death, assuming her into Heaven. Since her Assumption, Mary has continued serving God through her care for us, her children. She intercedes when we call upon her in our need, offers assistance for avoidance of sin, perseverance in trials, and growth in holiness, calling us to work with her for the good of the world. With Mary, there is always more she desires to offer her children. Just as with the writers of Scripture, so, too, has Mary come in different ways to people living in various cultures at particular moments in time, adopting their language and dress, always with messages of care. She has come with tidings of healing and hope, and sometimes in warning with instructions for reparation of sin so that worldwide disaster might be averted. Thus, those who love her began honoring Mary through devotions related to her appearances (Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Fatima, etc.) or one of her particular characteristics/realities, (Immaculate Conception, Mother of God, Our Lady of Grace, Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Queen of Heaven, Mother of the Church, and so on),** calling upon her for assistance under these titles. She is indeed all of them, and more. There is always more. As with her earthly life and in all the devotions we have, Mary teaches us that there is so much more we can do in listening to God and responding to His call in the way in which it is presented to us. But she also teaches that we are greater than the sum of our ‘parts:' just as there are many facets to Mary, who she is and the way she serves God, there is more to us than meets the eye as well. Regardless of what we can or cannot do, what talents or material treasures we have, there is far more within us than is often visible. God is aware of what is deep inside our hearts, and in truth there is greater giftedness and worth in each of us than we often realize. This is true of what we see in others, as well: there is always greater beauty to discover. Indeed, there is always more. We can look to Mary, our mother who cares profoundly, for protection, assistance, comfort, or nurturance of our path to holiness. Is there a particular title or devotion to Mary that draws you? If so, under that title ask for her assistance with your needs and those of the world. Remember, our call is not necessarily reserved to the work of service, but it is also a call to growth in love and example: it is a call to become more who we were meant to be by God through prayerfulness, kindness, humility, mercy, and a desire to serve the Lord. It is not about quantity, but rather it is about the quality of our love: that is ‘the more’ to which we are called, and through it we will discover greater depths within God’s love. Of that, there is always more. May we give thanks for the gift of our Mother Mary and for her Assumption, a reminder that there is always more! May we accept Mary’s invitation to continually discover our call and the depths of grace which inspire us! And may we be attentive to Mary as she always leads us to her Son, Jesus! Let us meet in the hearts of Jesus and Mary! Peace! ©Michele L. Catanese * I am writing as someone immersed in Ignatian spirituality, so I cannot omit saying that behind all of this is the concept of magis, loosely translated as ‘the more.’ What it refers to is not necessarily quantity, but that we are always called to the greater: to go further, to give greater service, to aspire to greater holiness and greater relationship with God. There is no room for hubris in the magis; it is solely focused on God that we might know, love, and serve Him better. ** If you want to see a longer list of titles for Mary see https://secularfranciscansusa.org/wp-content/uploads/Titles-of-the-Blessed-Virgin-Mary.pdf Images: 1. My photo, taken while hiking in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains outside of Albuquerque, NM. 2. Icon, Mother of God Seeker After the Lost, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. If you are interested in purchasing a copy in one of many mediums, it can be found at fineartamerica.com/featured/mother-of-god-seeker-after-the-lost-170-william-hart-mcnichols.html 3. Drawing, The Miraculous Medal. While I love so many Marian prayers, this is one of my favorites because it is what Mary told St. Catherine Labouré to have put on the medal. Therefore the prayer came straight from Mary: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." 4. Painting, Almond Blossoms by Vincent van Gogh, 1890. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond_Blossoms#/media/File:Vincent_van_Gogh_-_Almond_blossom_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg 5. My photo, fog in Bar Harbor, Maine. I chose this because as with all things, there is more here than meets the eye. There is always more! Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. |
Heart Speaks to Heart
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