“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came to be through him. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Jn 1:1,3,14
Today I want to take you on a journey, a journey that begins with Genesis and ends with Divine Mercy Sunday. Here’s the itinerary:
And God said, “let there be light”, and there was light. Gn 1:3
“Did God really say,’You shall not eat from any of the trees of the garden?’” Gn 3:1
“Hail full of grace” Lk 1:28
Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body”. Mt 26:26
“Remember me when you come into your kingdom”. Lk 23:42
“Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand and place it in my side” Jn 20:27
Now, as our esteemed Pastor would say, “Buckle up and don’t fall asleep”.
“In the beginning was the Word.” From nothing God created all that is. He merely spoke it into being. “Let there be light and there was light.” And he went on, speaking all of creation into existence. And then he formed man, with his hands as it were, making him into his own image and likeness and breathed life into him with his Divine breath, Spiritus Sanctus. He gave him dominion over all the garden, to take pleasure in all its goodness, for it was all good.
But then came the rebellion. “Did God really say, ‘You shall not eat of any of the trees of the garden’?” Eve entered into a conversation with evil and made a deal with the devil. And Adam stood there doing nothing. By his silence, by what he failed to do, he also participated in the conversation. In eating the forbidden fruit, they surrendered all of creation to Satan. That’s how he could offer Jesus all the kingdoms of the world after his forty days in the desert.
Only Divine intervention can rescue, can redeem creation, so we come to the Annunciation. “Hail, full of grace.” Now God sends his Spirit, his Breath, over Mary and the Word becomes flesh in her womb. Think on it. The Creator inters into his own creation. He unites himself with a creature. But only after she gives him permission. “Be it done to me according to your word.” Lk 1:28, 38
We learn in scripture of Jesus participation in humanity over the next thirty-three years, culminating in the Paschal Mystery, his passion, death and resurrection. It was for this that he came among us.
He took the bread and blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body”. Mt 26:26
Remember now, Jesus is the Word of God. He is God and what God says, is.
In the garden we can see Jesus pressed down in great agony, an agony caused by the growing realization of what was coming, but I think also caused by the knowledge of all the souls who would turn away from the gift of salvation which he was about to purchase for all, and maybe more for all the indifferent, lukewarm souls.
Betrayed by Judas, abandoned by his disciples, he is led away to face the wrath of the high priests and those in positions of power. We see him beaten, mocked, scourged, humiliated.
Look on the crucifix now, but try to see beyond the sterilized image to what his mother saw there. Jesus, naked, bruised from the buffets of those who mocked and from the falls carrying the heavy wood of the instrument of death that would become the instrument of salvation.
A crown of thorns pressed down onto his head, thorns pushed deeper by the the cross as it rocked back and forth on his shoulder. See the flesh torn away by the scourges. The Romans used whips made of multiple strands of leather with bits of bone or metal tied on the ends and they took turns, delighting in the pain they caused in their victim. St. Faustina relates that in a vision, she saw four soldiers taking turns. She also relates that Jesus told her the scourging was for sins of impurity. Our sins.
What his mother saw there on that cross would be too horrible for us to look upon. Yet we must. Jesus is the Divine Mercy. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
In dying he destroyed death. In rising he restored life. He is risen, Alleluia, Alleluia. We can say that now, with the benefit of hindsight. We know the story. For his disciples it was not so clear. Even after the women claimed to have seen Jesus, and after John and Peter saw the empty tomb, they were still afraid, and probably bewildered, and certainly ashamed for having run away.
Imagine the shock of seeing Jesus appear in the upper room, and imagine their remorse. What does He say to them? No accusations, no laying on of guilt. He says, “Peace be with you”. This is not like “peace out man”. It’s not a don’t be afraid. It’s Sholom. Be at peace. Set aside all you guilt, all your remorse, all your grief, all your sorrow, all your “if onlies”. He took all of that disfunction to himself in the garden, on the road to Golgotha, and onto the cross.
A little aside here. Bishop Baron speaks of our disfunction when he speaks of sin. When I first heard that I thought, that’s a pretty soft way of referring to sin. When you think about it, that’s what sin is. It’s the human person not being all that he was created to be, falling short of being “perfect, even as your heavenly father is perfect”.
“Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand and place it in my side” Jn 20:27
In every Mass, we are called to enter into the Paschal Mystery. All of the passion death and resurrection is made present on the alter in the Eucharist. We are there in Jerusalem with Jesus. Be not afraid.
I wonder if jesus called Thomas in a special way to enter into his passion. “Put your finger here. Put out your hand and place t in my side.” Enter in brothers. When the priest, the Alter Christus, elevates the Host and the Chalice do we recognize there the risen Lord? Can we say with Thomas, “My Lord and my God”?