“I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.
On this Good Shepherd Sunday we celebrate the fact of what our Shepherd has done for us. He has given his life for ours. Consider this, there are many things and people that will try to claim your loyalty. Maybe it is a political party, maybe it is a philosophy, maybe it is the boss at work, maybe it is popular opinions. But there is only one contender for your loyalty who ever died for you. His Name is Jesus. He alone is worthy of your most fundamental loyalty since he alone gave his life for you. Freely he died, not merely as a victim of circumstances. He laid down his life of his own accord and he took it up again. Only Jesus died for you.
There’s an old Gospel Song that says, “I heard my mother say, ‘Give me Jesus. You may have all this world; just give me Jesus.'” In my own life I heard people get to the mature point in their life when they could really say those words without any simulation or exaggeration. In particular I have in mind those I’ve been privileged to accompany toward death. For many of them these words become very real. My own mother died suddenly so I did not have the privilege of making that journey with her along the way. But My Father died after a year-long illness and my Grandmother too. I was able to walk with them in their final stages and I heard them say these words. And I knew it was time because only God can get you ready to say those words in a true and authentic way. I knew they really meant it and God was getting them ready for the great journey over to the other shore.
In the end, we have to desire heaven more than this world and only God can cause this change and purge us from the many attachments we have to this world. It usually takes the dying process to get us there, though I suppose it shouldn’t have to. But, painful though it is to behold there is something quite beautiful about the approach to death. I often see a letting go of those who approach death; perhaps it is of worldly glories, old grudges, preoccupations and many worries. Little by little these things fall away and the “one thing necessary” replaces them. It is merely this: that we sit at the feet of Jesus and wait for him to bring us over. There comes a moment when those who are dying with faith can truly saying the words of Psalm 27 : There is only one thing I ask of the LORD; this alone I seek: That I may dwell in the LORD’S house all the days of my life and gaze upon his beauty.
What do you want? What do you long for? Maybe it’s God! I know, its probably a lot of other things too. But if you’re faithful God can get you to the point where you can truly say: Give me Jesus. You may have all this world. Just Give me Jesus.
Pray along with this beautiful rendition of the Old Song: Give Me Jesus
We continue our look at the Mass with the greeting of the celebrant. Earlier instalments of this series can be seen in posts below.
The celebrant standing at the Chair greets the assembled people in one of the following ways:
1. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
2. The grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
3. The Lord be with you.
4. Peace be with you. (Only Bishops may use this greeting)
In each case the people respond: “And also with you.”
Here again, we hear it all so often we mis the point! But through his greeting the priest declares to the assembled community that the Lord is present! The greeting and the congregation’s response expresses the mystery of the gathered Church and that Christ Jesus is among us. For, as the Lord says in the Scripture, “Where two or three are gathered in my Name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matt 18:20) The greeting ritual is both theological and descriptive. Something powerful and wonderful has just been told to us. Therefore, informal additions by the clergy such as “Good Morning everyone” are not called for or helpful here. To announce to us that the Lord and his grace are both present and available to us is far better than some colloquial form of hello, remarks about the weather or the progress of the local sports team. We need to grasp the significance of what is taking place to see how inappropriate such light banter is at this moment. We are not just in any gathering, we are with the Lord and He with us and his grace and mercy are available to us! Indeed and in fact the Lord is present and ministering to us. The ritual does allow for the celebrant to add some introductory remarks after the greeting: After the greeting of the people, the priest…may very briefly introduce the faithful to the Mass of the day. (GIRM # 50) Notice the purpose of such remarks is to draw the faithful more fully into the feast they are celebrating or perhaps to announce the basic theme of the readings that are about to be read, or perhaps the mystery of the Eucharist that is about to unfold. Here again light banter about extraneous matters seems out of place. Rather, that the Lord is present and he is ministering to us and unfolding for us the mystery of his Grace is the most basic tone of this moment of greeting.
History – Originally it seems the Roman rite began simply with the readings. This was probably reflective of the very small congregations which gathered in homes or other places. There was little need for a formal greeting. However, as the Church emerged from persecution and communities became larger and processions longer, a greeting of some kind became more of a necessity. Augustine mentions in the City of God 22:8 “Salutavi populum” (I greeted the people) as he began Mass. Likewise, in solemn functions of the 7th century the first thing that happened when the Pope reached the Altar was a series of greetings for the co-liturgists (much as in our present day sign of peace). But in the Middle Ages the greetings came more and more to be paired down while rites such as prayers at the foot of the altar and other introductory rites were added. In the Tridentine Liturgy, the greeting was a simple Dominus vobiscum (the Lord be with you) but it was not proclaimed to the congregation until after the Kyrie and Gloria and immediately before the opening prayer. Today as is seen above, the greeting is restored but is still brief in nature. Further, the greetings include a richer drawing from the written greetings of Paul in the New Testament as well as the greeting by Jesus to his Apostles after his resurrection, “Peace be with you.”
I have often thought that Pope Benedict XVI is quite photogenic. Some of the pictures I have seen are quite humorous. Here are a few photos I have collected of him that I think are funny. I set them to the music of Irving Berlin’s What do I have to do to get my picture took.
Here is a clip from the Movie “Joan of Arc” depicting the coronation of the Charles VII of France in Reims. I am not sure how accurate the Liturgy is since I am not familiar with coronations nor am I even sure if there is such an actual Rite in the the Roman Ritual. Nevertheless it is beautifully filmed. It also displays a time when the Church and State were often closely allied (too closely??). But it was what it was.
Charles VII ascended to the French Throne after the death of his father. However his nephew also claimed the throne. After some intrigue he had insisted that he was King but was really a toothless tiger due to the presence of the English Forces in France. Joan of Arc, after a vision was given permission by Charles to lead forces against the English.
Joan of Arc then set about leading the French forces at Orléans, forcing the English to lift the siege and thus turning the tide of the war. After the French won the Battle of Patay, Charles was crowned King Charles VII of France on 17 July 1429, in Reims Cathedral as the de jure king. This scene is depicted in this movie clip
Joan was later captured by the Burgundians who handed her over to the English. Tried for heresy she was burned at the stake on 30 May 1431. Charles VII did nothing to save the one to whom he owed his throne.
In Italy the Pope visits earthquake victims, In Germany a Bishop is accused of heresy, In Belarus the Pope may meet with the Patriarch, In the USA Mel Gibson is rebuffed by his family and the Pope says Nope.
