To GOD, King Of The World

 "Clap your hands, all you peoples;

acclaim GOD with shouts of joy.

For YAHWEH, the Most High, is to be feared;

HE is a great king all over the earth.

HE brings people under our dominion

and puts nations under our feet.

HE chose our inheritance for us--

the pride of Jacob whom HE loves!

GOD ascends amid joyful shouts,

YAHWEH amid trumpet blasts.

Sing praises to GOD, sing praises!

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!"

- Psalm 47:2-3. 4-5. 6-7

('YOUR kingdom come,' we pray, and yet GOD's kingdom has already come.  But we are thinking of our own acceptance of it, our practical acknowledgment of GOD's sovereignty.  However, there is always comfort in throwing responsibility on GOD, as nations, their king and military leader once did.  Hence the note of joy in this psalm, and GOD 'goes up' to the sound of it.  No doubt, this refers to the procession with the Ark, brought up the Temple hill.  For us there is another 'ascension.'  The glorified body of CHRIST has thrown off the chains of place and time and has power to lead us always and everywhere.  This is surely a psalm for the feast of the Ascension.

For as long as we express the desire of the Our FATHER: 'YOUR kingdom come' we could pray with this psalm, St. Paul [1 Thessalonians 16-18] says, 'Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks to GOD at every moment.  This is the will of GOD, your vocation as Christians.'  And, as Christians, we have added reasons to rejoice because of the Ascension of our LORD and HIS promise to take us to HIM.)

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Orchestra Of Praise To GOD, King Of The World

"Sing to YAHWEH a new song, for HE has done wonders; HIS right hand, HIS holy arm, has won victory for HIM.

YAHWEH has shown HIS salvation, revealing HIS justice to the nations.

HE has not forgotten HIS love, nor HIS faithfulness to Israel.  The farthest ends of the earth all have seen GOD's saving power.

All you lands, make a joyful noise to YAHWEH, break into song and sing praise, ..."

- Psalm 98:1. 2-3. 3-4

(Our LORD founded the kingdom of GOD on earth; and yet we pray: 'YOUR kingdom come.'  The work of our redemption has been accomplished, but we still pray for this salvation, to be perfected throughout the world: GOD has come; but we look for HIS final coming, to take possession of HIS kingdom.

Sing to the LORD a new song.  Humanity has found the way to liberation and salvation.  It is in the coming of CHRIST, GOD-made-man and in HIS resurrection.

For the LORD came down to earth, showed us HIS love and also by HIS death and resurrection, the path to eternal salvation.)

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The Promise Of A New Presence

"A little while, and you will see ME no more; and then a little while, and you will see ME.

Some of the disciples wondered, 'What does HE mean by, 'A little while, and you will not see ME; and then a little while, and you will see ME'?  And why did HE say, 'I go to the FATHER'?  And they said to one another, 'What does HE mean by a little while'?  We don't understand.'

JESUS knew that they wanted to question HIM; so, HE said to them, 'You are puzzled because I told you that in a little while you will see ME no more, and then a little while later you will see ME.

Truly, I say to you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices.  You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.'" - John 16:16-20 

(JESUS is in our midst, but to be aware of HIS presence requires faith.  HE HIMSELF said: "You will see ME because you live, and I also live [14:19]."  It is not important that we feel HIS presence, what matters is to persevere in HIS ways.  In order to attain mature faith, it is necessary that we be deprived of the consolation of HIS presence for more or less prolonged periods: a little while, and you will see ME no more.

For HIS disciples this happened for the first time at the moment of HIS death; later they saw HIM risen from the dead.  This will come true for us at the end of time, when we discover the glorious CHRIST whom we have awaited in faith.  No one should feel overconfident about feeling HIS presence, for example, after a conversion.  When everything seems easy, we should not look down on those who find it hard to believe or who have never felt the presence of GOD.  In a little while, perhaps, the LORD will leave us in darkness.

After JESUS rose from the dead, a real companionship would be established between HIM and HIS disciples: HE would speak to them clearly of the FATHER; they would ask in HIS name.)

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What Is The Path Of Righteousness?

"But now I AM going to the One who sent ME, and none of you asks ME where I AM going; instead, you are overcome with grief, because of what I have said.

Believe ME, it is better for you that I go away, because as long as I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.  But if I go away, I will send HIM to you, and when HE comes, HE will vindicate the truth before a sinful world; and HE will vindicate the paths of righteousness and justice.

What is the world's sin, in regard to ME?  Disbelief.  What is the path of righteousness?  It is the path I walk, by which I go to the FATHER; and you shall see ME no more.  What is the path of justice?  It is the path on which the prince of this world will always stand condemned." - John 16:5-11  

(Starting from the day of Pentecost, the Spirit began to act in the Church, thus showing that HE was the Spirit of CHRIST.  The unbelieving Jews thought that GOD was with them, but in reality, HIS Spirit did not act among them.  So, it was clear that they had sinned [16:9] for not believing in CHRIST.

What is the path of righteousness?  The righteous One is CHRIST, and the righteous persons are those who believe in HIM without seeing HIM.

The Acts of the Apostles records how the Spirit worked in the first disciples of JESUS.  Before granting miraculous powers, the Spirit gave them joy, peace, and mutual love, as well as inner certainty that JESUS had risen and was among them.)

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The SPIRIT Will Come

"From the FATHER, I will send you the Spirit of truth.  When this Helper has come from the FATHER, HE will be MY witness, and you, too, will be MY witnesses, for you have been with ME from the beginning." - John 15:26-27   

(The FATHER, the SON and the HOLY SPIRIT.  In making us children of HIS FATHER, JESUS enables us to discover the intimate mystery of GOD.  In GOD there is communion among the three persons: the FATHER, the SON and their common SPIRIT.

We speak of their common Spirit, because JESUS said both: The FATHER will give you another Helper [14:16] and: The Helper which I will send you [15:26].  Now HE says: HE will take what is MINE and tell it to you: everything that the FATHER has is also MINE [16:15].

"The Spirit" is not a poetic figure:  it is Someone.  This has already been commented on [John 7:37; 14:1].

Starting from the day of Pentecost, the Spirit began to act in the Church, thus showing that HE was the Spirit of CHRIST.  The unbelieving Jews thought that GOD was with them, but in reality, HIS Spirit did not act among them.  So, it was clear that they had sinned [16:9] for not believing in CHRIST.)

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Harvest Song

"May GOD be gracious and bless us;

may HE let HIS face shine upon us;

that YOUR way be known on earth

and YOUR salvation, among the nations.

May the countries be glad and sing for joy,

for YOU rule the peoples with justice;

and guide the nations of the world.

May the peoples praise YOU, O GOD,

may all the peoples praise YOU!

May GOD bless us and be revered,

to the very ends of the earth."

- Psalm 67:2-3. 5. 6. 8

(The occasion of this happy song is a successful harvest, but the psalmist can rise above selfish considerations.  The triumph of a good harvest--or industrial prosperity--should make one think of places, where the harvest fails.  GOD is the same GOD there, and man no less his image.  If GOD rules the whole world with justice, man must try to imitate HIM.  Ecumenism and economics are sometimes the same thing.  The blessing of the psalm takes us to the beginning of the letter to the Ephesians [Ephesians 1:3].  We can pray with this psalm, to give thanks to GOD for the goods of the earth.)

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The Hostile World

"If the world hates you, remember that the world hated ME before you.  This would not be so if you belonged to the world, because the world loves its own.  But you are not of the world since I have chosen you from the world; because of this the world hates you.

Remember what I told you: the servant is not greater than his master; if they persecuted ME, they will persecute you, too.  If they kept MY word, they keep yours as well.  All this they will do to you for the sake of MY name because they do not know the One who sent ME." - John 15:18-21   

(In spite of JESUS' having returned to HIS FATHER to initiate a more effective and universal presence among humankind, Satan continues to act with the power he has usurped.  The hatred of those who belong to Satan is directed against the believers and the Church.  Such helpers of Satan are called in John's Gospel: the world.

Believers are destined to be hated by the world.  It often happens that when a person begins to live in a more Christian and responsible way, she meets with opposition and hatred from her own family.  No one knows what has aroused the hatred, but the devil does, who moves everything to discourage us.

Even in the Church we find those who are of the world and believe that they are serving GOD when they persecute the true disciples of CHRIST.  Some who identify themselves with what they consider "the interests of the Church" can even persecute, and at times with malice, those who are Gospel-minded.  In reality they know neither JESUS nor HIS FATHER.

When our hope does not come from GOD, trials discourage us; but when our hope is rooted in GOD, we are strengthened and remain steadfast.  In the parable of the vine, JESUS said: "My FATHER prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit".)

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The Council's Letters

"Then the apostles and elders together with the whole Church decided to choose representatives from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.  These were Judas, known as Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men among the brothers. They took with them the following letter:

'Greetings from the apostles and elders, your brothers, to the believers of non-Jewish birth in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia.  We have heard that some persons from among us have worried you with their discussions and troubled your peace of mind.  They were not appointed by us.  But now, it has seemed right to us in an assembly, to choose representatives and to send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have dedicated their lives to the service of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.  We send you then Judas and Silas who themselves will give you these instructions by word of mouth.

We, with the Holy Spirit, have decided not to put any other burden on you except what is necessary.  You are to abstain from blood from the meat of strangled animals and from prohibited marriages.  If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.  Farewell'.

After saying good-bye, the messengers went to Antioch, where they assembled the community and handed them the letter.  When they read the news, all were delighted with the encouragement it gave them." - Acts 15:22-31 

(If we re-read Chapter 2 of Galatians, then Acts 21:25, we may think that Luke has combined here two events: the meeting at Jerusalem as well as a decision James took later for the Churches that depended directly on Jerusalem and where the Christians of Jewish origin formed the majority.  That helps to understand the decree that follows.

The final decision of the "Council" of Jerusalem, as it is presented here, is doubtless the best the apostles and the Holy Spirit could do at the time.  Let us frankly say that the settlement could only be provisional and lacked doctrinal justification.  To impose Jewish laws was to penalize non-Jews; it was also a way of saying that the Church was unable to live according to the "newness" of the Gospel, free of the past, free of religious discipline.  In fact, a few years later, there was no question of these laws since the Church had freed itself of the Jewish community, just as it had been rejected by the Jews.

The following expressions are to be noted; the apostles, the elders, and the whole community... it has seemed right to the Holy Spirit and to us: the decision of the community united to its apostles guarantees the presence of the Holy Spirit.  On several occasions in history, similar debates have taken place, but then it was not a question of freeing the Gospel of the Old Testament laws; it was the laws and customs of the Church that had become the impossible burden to carry [v. 10] for a large human majority.  Only when a debate is wide open, as was the one at Jerusalem, does it succeed in pointing out the obstacles and ecclesiastical taboos.  As long as the central organisms stifle the liberty of expression, the mission weakens and encloses itself within a traditional clientele decreasing day by day.)

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The Universal Reign Of The True GOD

 "Sing to YAHWEH a new song,

sing to YAHWEH, all the earth!

Sing to YAHWEH, praise HIS name;

proclaim HIS salvation, day after day.

Recall HIS glory among the nations,

tell all the peoples HIS wonderful deeds

Say among the nations, 'YAHWEH reigns!'

HE will judge the peoples with justice."

- Psalm 96:1-2. 2-3. 10

(More than on the splendor of the universe, human society is founded on justice that glorifies GOD: there is joy in creation when GOD establishes HIS kingdom among us.  Yes, joy of the universe, until then devastated by our exaggerated ambitions.  Joy of nations that have discovered why they exist!

As we continue to express our desire for the reign of GOD to come to the world, we can pray with this psalm.)

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The Vine And The Branches

"I AM the true vine, and MY FATHER is the vine grower.  If any of MY branches doesn't bear fruit, HE breaks it off; and HE prunes every branch that does bear fruit, that it may bear even more fruit.

You are already made clean by the word I have spoken to you.  Live in ME as I live in you.  The branch cannot bear fruit by itself, but has to remain part of the vine; so neither can you, if you don't remain in ME.

I AM the vine, and you are the branches.  As long as you remain in ME and I in you, you bear much fruit; but apart from ME you can do nothing.  Whoever does not remain in ME is thrown away, as they do with branches, and they wither.  Then they are gathered and thrown into the fire and burned.

If you remain in ME and MY words remain in you, you may ask whatever you want, and it will be given to you.  MY FATHER is glorified when you bear much fruit: it is then that you become MY disciples." - John 15:1-8   

(JESUS uses an image from the Scripture, but HE changes the original meaning, as HE did before when speaking of the Good Shepherd [John 10:1].  The vine represents the people of Israel.  Planted from selected stock, cared for by the LORD, it should have produced fruits of justice [Mark 12:1].

Now the true Vine has taken root.  CHRIST is the trunk from which the branches sprout, that is to say, all of us who live by HIM.  HE is also the entire plant, trunk and branches together: Christians are really the body of CHRIST.

Now JESUS does not say: The Christian community is the vine, but: I AM the vine.  So, each of us has to consider how he is joined with JESUS through faith, prayer, and keeping HIS word.  Each one has to bear fruit.  JESUS does not specify what these fruits should be: whether service, understanding, action for social justice, or a life silently offered to GOD.  Rather HE insists that these fruits should come from the Spirit and bear HIS proper seal.  The success of the Church is not measured by its achievements, but by the progress of those who interiorize CHRIST's mystery and share in HIS cross and resurrection.)

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