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Too many people think of Holy Communion as a ritual, rather than a transformative, life-giving reality. Jesus spoke clearly of how Holy Communion—the partaking of his Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—would give us new life and raise us up:

1. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world (Jn 6:33).
2. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world (Jn 6:48-51).
3. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (Jn 6:54).
4. The one who feeds on me will live because of me (Jn 6:57).
5. He who feeds on this bread will live forever (Jn 6:58).
6. [In the ancient Temple] a tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table, and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. … When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood. … This is an illustration for the present time. … When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made. … He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption … to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him (Heb 9: varia).

So Holy Communion with Jesus takes us, who were dead in our sins, and raises us to a new and eternal life. The Word Eternal does not refer merely to the length of life, but also to its fullness. So we are given not just a long life, but a full one.

And to those who refrain from Holy Communion, the Lord has this to say:

Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you have no life in you (Jn 6:53).

Those who have stepped away from the Communion with the Lord in the Sacrament of the Eucharist are starving themselves and risk utter spiritual death: “no life you.”

And now we go to a surprising place: a Doritos commercial (see video below).

1. In this commercial, a man going on a journey exhorts his friend to remember to feed the fish and water the plant.
2. I wonder if we cannot see ourselves receiving a similar command from Jesus. Jesus often speaks in parables of a King or a landowner (Himself, really) going on a journey and leaving instructions.
3. And Jesus’ instructions similarly involve food and drink. For as he went on a journey he said, “Eat my Flesh and drink my Blood. … Do this in remembrance of me.”
4. But in the ad, the friend on the couch pays little attention. And as you can guess, he doesn’t do what he’s been asked.
5. Interestingly, however, he does eat the Doritos!
6. Perhaps then, he is emblematic of some modern Catholics who, though they get to Church themselves, have not evangelized others (even their own relatives) and do not make sure that they eat and drink by receiving Holy Communion.
7. Sure enough, as we have noted,  the couch-bound friend (pew sitting Catholic?) does not give food to the fish or drink to the plant and they both die. This is what is happening spiritually to our family and friends who do not come to Mass and worthily receive Holy Communion. And to the extent that we have neglected to evangelize them, we, like the couch-sitting friend in the ad, share in the blame for their deaths.
8. Suddenly the couch-bound friend realizes it is Thursday and that his friend will return soon. He sees the death he has helped cause by failing to feed and water, and urgently tries to remedy the situation. Perhaps (we hope) this is a symbol of us in the Church who have allowed 70% of our brethren to drift away from the food and drink they need (Jesus). Waking up from a long nap, we hear the call to the New Evangelization as we see our once-filled parishes and schools empty and closing.
9. Now things get silly, but action is taken. The couch-bound friend suddenly leaves his couch (pew) and goes to work. He feeds Doritos to the dead fish and suddenly the fish comes back to life! I know it’s a stretch, but allow this to be a symbol of getting a friend or family member back to the Sacraments. If we do, that which was dead is now alive. Next in the ad, the plant comes alive; then most auspiciously, even Grandpa, whose ashes were knocked off the mantle, also comes back to life! (Remember, though, do not put the ashes of loved ones on the mantle. The Church requires that they be buried or placed in a columbarium at a cemetery.)
10. OK I know it’s crazy, but the Doritos can symbolize (by a stretch) the Eucharist. And as for actually giving life, Doritos don’t, but Communion can! When Holy Communion is received worthily and fruitfully, what was dead can and does come back to life. And what is already alive is further enlivened.

So the moral is, stay faithful to Holy Communion or die. And even if you’re receiving, I’m sure you know people who aren’t. They need to get back to Holy Communion or they will perish (cf Jn 6:53).

Now don’t let some guy in a Doritos commercial be smarter than you. Get to work—evangelize. There are people out there (including your own children, family members, and friends) who are dying spiritually for lack of Holy Communion. Get to work—Jesus may be coming soon!

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Rev 3:20-22).

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (Jn 6:54).

Here’s the commercial:

The need to pray for the upcoming Synod on Marriage and Family could not be greater. Sadly, so much oxygen has been spent on discussions about divorce, remarriage, and Holy Communion that little attention has been directed to defining functional marriage and upholding it for the Christian faithful. Granted we must deal with the wounded, but if all our time and energy is spent on pathology and none on good spiritual health, we lose our way and forget what a good and healthy family is.

Some good and thoughtful articles have recently been published on Crisis Magazine Online. And while to some extent they still address the pathology of modern marriage and family issues, they do a pretty good job of pointing the way back to a proper vision of Holy Matrimony. Here are a few excerpts from an article by Jared Staudt along with my commentary.  Excerpts from the article are in  bold italic and my comments are in plain red text. The full article is available here: A call to Heroism .

Unfortunately, I think we see marriage far too often in terms of personal self-fulfillment. Isn’t this even part of the logic of gay marriage? People need to be a marital relationship or a sexual relationship to be fulfilled.

This is well said and we have made similar comments on this blog before. Too many people today see marriage primarily in terms of what is best for the adults involved rather than the children or the common good. Too many think marriage is about two adults being happy. And as for children, they are basically a way of “accessorizing” your marriage. They are an “add-on” if this serves the pleasure and happiness of the adults in the marriage. Otherwise, they contracept,  or more horrifyingly, abort. Of course if marriage is just about two adults being happy, then enter the “gay” community who are more than willing to ask the question, “Then what about us?” 

And then of course if sex is “necessary” for fulfillment and we accept that premise at the cultural level, then “how dare” the Church limit what anyone “needs” to be happy and fulfilled? Everyone has a “right” to be happy, and thus the Church and those who seek to limit sexual expression in any way are guilty of infringing on the right of others to be happy and fulfilled.

Now never mind that many who have all the sex they want are still unhappy and unfulfilled; never mind that the whole premise of the argument is a lie, or at best a severe half-truth—never mind all that. Our culture has bought the lie and bitterly lashes out at any who seek to call it to responsibility and to frame sexual fulfillment within marriage and make it about having children. Never mind all that. No matter how high the body count goes through abortion and children raised in incomplete (even bizarre) settings, no matter how high the STD rate goes, the world will never consider its approach unwise or in any way problematic. No, it is we, the people who seek to “limit sexual expression” and thus to limit “happiness” who are wrong and even “immoral” based on the premise that marriage and sexual expression are essential for happiness and fulfillment.

If we simply accept an adulterous relationship as normative (in divorce and remarriage), aren’t we caving in to a position that would quickly recognize these other unions [i.e. homosexual, cohabiting, polygamous etc.] as valid? Other couples in a non-marital committed relationship will also seek the standing that [Cardinal] Kasper wants to provide, instead of accepting the Church’s teaching on abstinence. The problem is a misunderstanding of self-fulfillment. It does not come from following our passions, but by ordering them in virtue.” Exactly. For all the indulgence of passion in these modern times, our happiness is not greater—it is lessened. We do no one any favors by caving in to modern illusions. The Church needs to be “the adult in the room” and continue to point to the source of true fulfillment—the truth.

In the Office of Readings we have been drawing from the Book of Revelation which, more than just a tour-guide of the last days, is a book of glory describing the Risen Lord Jesus Christ as King and Lord of all History. In the opening lines of the Book is a magnificent description of Jesus from which we can glean a number of titles and teachings about Jesus. Such a magnificent prologue cannot fail to inspire us. Let’s look first at the passage and then at 11 titles and teachings about Jesus contained in this opening vision of the book. Viva Christo Rey! 

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden girdle round his breast; his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters; in his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades (Rev 1:7-18).

Here is a portrait of the risen Christ in all His glory. The vision is of a high Christology. The Christ that is encountered here is the Lord of glory who has attained His glorious kingdom and who is the Lord of history and King of the Universe. Let us look at the manifold description of Jesus the Christ.

I. The Recapitulating Christ  – “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

To recapitulate means to subsume many things under one heading. Thus the Bible says of him,  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth (Eph 1:9-10).

Alpha and omega really means more than beginning and end. If Christ were to speak this today he would say, “I am A and Z.” In other words, “I am the alphabet of God.” What is an alphabet? It is an ingenious manner of storing accumulated wisdom and knowledge. Jesus is the accumulated wisdom of God. He is the Word of God. He is the refulgence of all wisdom and knowledge. He knows all things.

II. The Resurrected Christ – Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man

It had been some years since John had seen Jesus. Now he turns and sees Him. But what is He like? One like a Son of Man. Jesus is forevermore God and man, yet man with a glorified and transformed humanity. Jesus did not merely wear his manhood for a while and then discard it. Jesus will keep His humanity for all eternity. There is a man, one of us, in the glory. Truly His humanity is glorified, but it is humanity as well as divinity. He was resurrected in a body; He ascended in a body; He is coming back in a body, literally and visibly. Here is the resurrected Christ, the Son of Man.

III. The Reigning Christ – clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash round his breast

Here are regal robes, the dress and splendor of a king, the dress and splendor of a magistrate or a judge. The portrait here is not of Jesus Christ as savior per se, it is of Jesus Christ as judge, as King, and as Lord and Ruler. We must all face Jesus one day as Judge and sovereign Lord. The scriptures are clear:

1. Romans 14:11-12 For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” So each of us shall give account of himself to God.
2. 2 Cor 5:9-10 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.

IV. The Righteous Christ – his head and his hair were white as white wool

This text speaks of His righteousness, wisdom, and purity. Jesus is purer and cleaner than new-fallen snow or bleached wool. He is wiser than any human knowing. His wisdom is righteous, whereas so much of our knowledge is used for sinful ends and foolish, passing endeavors. Yes, before his wisdom all our knowledge is as foolishness. Oh the holiness, wisdom and the blessedness of Jesus Christ! The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether (Psalm 19:9).

V. The Revealing Christ – his eyes were like a flame of fire

The text means that He has a penetrating vision, like fire that penetrates and burns. Today we might say “He has eyes like an x-ray.” He sees right through you. He knows about everything you’ve ever done—every thought, every word, every deed. You can fool others but His eyes are like a flame of fire. He knows; you will not fool Him. Scripture says,  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we render an account (Heb 4:13). You can fool an earthly judge but you will not fool this Judge. He sees through and through. He cannot be deceived. His eyes are like the flame of fire. He is the revealing Christ.

VI. The Relentless Christ – his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace

This means His coming and His judgment will be unstoppable. Brass is a weighty and a hard metal; it does not give way. Here then is unrelenting and sovereign judgment. Here are strong feet that tread in justice. “He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.” Yes, Jesus is going to judge and His judgments, like fire-hardened brass, will not give way; they will not be malleable. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son (John 5:22-23). Many people have not understood that Jesus is not only the savior; He is also the judge. He must be respected for this.

VII. The Resounding  Christ – and his voice was like the sound of many waters 

A likely background to this text is Psalm 29: 1-4 Ascribe to the LORD, glory and strength. … The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thunders: the LORD is upon many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

Yes, here is the resounding power of Christ. See how what is ascribed to God in the Old Testament is here ascribed to Christ. He is our majestic Lord and God.  The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD (Jeremiah 25:30-31). And again here,  For the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:28-29).

It won’t do any good to talk back. Can you imagine standing at the foot of Niagara Falls and arguing with it? When He comes again He shall speak and what power there shall be! He is the regal Christ. This verse speaks of his majesty.

VIII. The Regulating Christ – in his right hand he held seven stars

Jesus doesn’t just have the whole world in his hand. He’s got the whole universe in his hand. He is the one who regulates it all. He regulates, runs, and rules all of creation.

Scripture says of Jesus,

1. Col 1:15-17 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
2. Eph 1:9-10 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.

The book of Revelation also defines the stars as the seven Churches. Rev 1:20 states, The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. Thus we see here the governance that Christ has over the Church. He regulates and rules the Church as Scripture says of him, And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence (Col 1:17-18). Thus even in this context we can see how His regulation of the Church flows from His regulation of all things.

So Jesus Christ is our regulator and ruler. All things are under his control. Fear nothing. There is no panic in heaven—only plans.

IX. The Revenging Christ – from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword

Here is a word-picture that brings to mind Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The sword that is in His mouth is His Word. And what is He going to do with this sword? He is going to divide the nations with it; He is going to declare what is true and what is false in us and in the whole world. Everything will be judged and avenged by His Word. Either it is conformity with His Word, or it is not. The truth will be avenged because it will be seen by all for what it is—the Truth. And what is false will be separated out and seen as false. In this sense the truth will be avenged.

Note again, Jesus is not just savior, He is judge. And if you won’t let Him save you, then He must acknowledge that and condemn you to the consequences of your free choice against Him, against His Word, and against the truth and values of His Kingdom. He will not force you to live in his Kingdom with its values. But neither will He compromise the truth of His Word. There is no third way given. Either we accept the invitation of salvation that Jesus gives, or we will experience the ramifications of the choice of our self-exclusion.

Yes the Word of God is a sword or surgeon’s scalpel  that will cut and divide the good flesh of the body from the bad and cancerous flesh. Scripture says elsewhere,

1. Rev 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them [the Nicolaitians] with the sword of my mouth.
2. Rev 19:11-15 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
3. 2 Thess 1:7-10 And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

So for those who love God, there shall be vindication and triumph. But for those who hate the truth and hide from the light, there shall be blinding glory—that they experience as wrath and destruction. 

X. The Resplendent Christ – and his face was like the sun shining in full strength 

Oh the brightness of his face! Oh the brilliance of his glory! For the saints, His shining glory is a beauty to behold. They glory in the light and reflect that wondrous light! 

1. Psalm 50:1-2 The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
2. Psalm 18:28 You O Lord light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness.
3. Psalm 37:6 He will bring forth your vindication as the light, and your right as the noonday.
4. Psalm 43:3-4 Oh send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me, let them bring me to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling! 
5. Psalm 97:11 Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
6. Psalm 104:1-2 Thou art clothed with honor and majesty, who covers himself  with light as with a garment.
7. Prov 4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. 

But for the wicked, the light is blinding and it exposes their wickedness.

1. Psalm 90:8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
2. John 3:19-20 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
3. Acts 22:6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 

Who can describe the glory of the coming savior? The light of Jesus is the very light of heaven:  And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb (Rev 21:23).

XI. The Reassuring Christ – When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Our world today needs a new vision of the holiness of God. Look at John: he knew Christ and lay his head upon His chest at the Last Supper. But now, despite all their history, when he beholds the glorified Christ he falls on his face as though dead. For as the Scripture says,  But, God said, “you cannot see my face; for man shall not see me and live.” (Exodus 33:20) Too frequently today God has been trivialized. Look at John’s experience. Jesus will reassure him, but the glory is awesome, He is Holy, Holy, Holy. Here is the glorified Christ, awesome in power and majesty.

Yet Jesus says, “Fear not!” He is the reassuring Christ. But notice what it is that He tells John not to fear: death and the power of evil one. Thus the awesome power and majesty of Jesus becomes the basis for “fearing not.” His resurrection is the source of His glory and also the reason we should not fear. Thus Jesus does not hide His glory in order to reassure John; He lets His glory shine forth to reassure him! Jesus has the power to save. Hallelujah!

 Viva Christo Rey! 

The story of the Prophet Hosea and his troubled marriage is a powerful testimony to us of our own tendency to be unfaithful to God, but also of God’s passionate love for us. We do well to recall the story especially given the “great debate” among some in the Church today over the question of divorce and remarriage. And while there are many painful stories of what some have had to endure in difficult marriages, it may be of some benefit to those who are in the struggle to remember that God is in a very painful marriage with His people—yes, very painful! God knows the pain of a difficult marriage and a difficult spouse. The story of Hosea depicts some of God’s grief and what he chooses to do about that grief.

The precise details of Hosea’s troubled marriage are sketchy and we are left to fill in some of the details with our imagination. But here are the basic facts along with some of the “fill in” required:

1. Hosea receives an unusual instruction from God: Go, take a harlot wife and harlot’s children, for the land gives itself to harlotry, turning away from the LORD. So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim (Hosea 1:2).
2. Together they have three children, each with a symbolic name: Jezreel (for God is about to humble Israel in the Jezreel valley), Lo-Ruhama (not pitied), and Lo-Ammi (not my people). It is also possible that these children were not of Hosea but rather of Gomer’s various lovers, for although they are born during the marriage, God later refers to them as children of harlotry.
3. At some point, though the text does not specify when or under what circumstances, Hosea’s wife Gomer leaves him for another lover and enters into an adulterous relationship. We can only imagine Hosea’s pain and anger at this rejection. The text remains silent as to Hosea’s reaction, but as we shall see, God’s reaction is well-attested.
4. Take her back. After some unspecified period of time, God instructs Hosea, Give your love to a woman beloved of a paramour, an adulteress; Even as the LORD loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and are fond of raisin cakes (Hosea 3:1). Now while the quoted text does not clearly specify that this is the same woman he is to love, the overall context of chapters 1-3 of Hosea demand that this is the same unfaithful wife, Gomer. God tells Hosea to redeem, to buy back Gomer and re-establish his marital bonds with her.
5. Hosea has to pay a rather hefty price indeed to purchase her back from her paramour: So I bought her for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley (Hosea 3:2). The willingness of her paramour to “sell her back” indicates quite poetically that the apparent love of the world and of all false lovers is not real love at all. It is for sale to the highest bidder.
6. Prior to restoring her to any intimacy, a period of purification and testing will be necessary: Then I said to her: “Many days you shall wait for me; you shall not play the harlot Or belong to any man; I in turn will wait for you” (Hosea 3:3).

This story is both difficult and beautiful. Its purpose, as you likely know, is not merely to tell us of the troubled and painful marriage of Hosea. Its truer purpose is to show forth the troubled marriage of the Lord, who has a bride—a people—who are unfaithful to him. We, both collectively and individually, have entered into a (marital) covenant with God. Our vows were pronounced at our baptism and we renewed them on many other occasions.

But all too often we casually “sleep with” other gods and worldly paramours. Perhaps it is money, popularity, possessions, or power. Perhaps we have forsaken God for our careers, politics, philosophies, or arts and sciences. Some have outright left God; others keep two or more beds, still speaking of their love for God but involved with many other dalliances as well. Yes, this is a troubled marriage, not on God’s part, but surely on ours.

And through it all, what does God decide to do? In the end, as Hosea’s story illustrates, God chooses to redeem, to buy back, his bride—and at quite a cost: For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect (1 Peter 3:19-20). Yes, God paid dearly to draw us back to Him. Even still we stray and often show little appreciation of His love. An old Gospel song says, “Oh Lord I’ve sinned but you’re still calling my name.”

A deeper look at Hosea also reveals a look into the grieving heart of God. Reading these Old Testament passages requires a bit of sophistication. The text we are about to look at describes God as grieving, angry, and weighing out his options, but also as loving and almost romantic. At one level, we must remember that these attributes are applied to God in an analogical and metaphorical sense. God is said to be like this. But God is not angry the way we are angry. He is not grieving the way we do; he is not romantic the way we are. Yet though we see these texts in terms of analogy and metaphor, we cannot wholly set them aside as having no meaning. In some sense, God is grieving, angry, loving and even “romantic” in response to our wanderings. Exactly how he experiences these is mysterious to us but He does choose to use these metaphors to describe himself to us.

With this balanced caution, let’s take a look at excerpts from the second Chapter of Hosea wherein God decodes the story of Hosea and applies it to us. He describes his grieving heart to us and also his plan of action to win his lover and Bride back. All of these texts are from the Second Chapter of Hosea.

1. Thoughts of Divorce! – Protest against your mother, protest! for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband. The text here suggests that God is weighing His options. But perhaps the better explanation is that this line is for us readers, so that we will consider that God could rightfully divorce us. But as we will see, He will not. For though we break the covenant, He will not. Though we are unfaithful, God will not be unfaithful. If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself (2 Tim 2:13).
2. The bitter charge against her – Let her remove her harlotry from before her, her adultery from between her breasts… “I will go after my lovers,” she said, “who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.” Since she has not known that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, And her abundance of silver, and of gold, which they used for Baal. God’s charge here is not merely that we are unfaithful but also that we are ungrateful. God is the giver of every good thing. But so often we do not thank Him. We run after the world and after the powerful, thinking it is they who provide our wealth. They do not—it is God who does so. But instead we love the world and forget about God. We “sleep with” the world. We give credit to medicine, science, and human ingenuity, but do not acknowledge or thank God. Our ingratitude contributes to our harlotry for we are enamored of secondary causes and not of God who is the cause of all. So we get into bed with the world and its agenda, and adulterously unite ourselves with it. God is distressed by our ingratitude and adultery and is presented here as a wounded and jealous lover. Is God this? Remember these things are said by way of analogy and metaphor. God is neither hurt nor angered in the way that we are. And yet we cannot wholly dismiss these words as having no meaning. God has inspired this text and wants us to understand that though He is not passionate as we are, neither is He indifferent to our infidelity.
3. Grief-stricken but issuing purifying punishment – I will strip her naked, leaving her as on the day of her birth; I will make her like the desert, reduce her to an arid land, and slay her with thirst. I will have no pity on her children, for they are the children of harlotry. Yes, their mother has played the harlot; she that conceived them has acted shamefully. …I will lay bare her shame before the eyes of her lovers. …I will bring an end to all her joy, her feasts, her new moons, her sabbaths, and all her solemnities. …I will punish her for the days of the Baals, for whom she burnt incense. …If she runs after her lovers, she shall not overtake them; if she looks for them she shall not find them. This text could be seen as describing God in a jealous rage. But as we shall see, God has a result in mind. He does not punish as some uncontrolled despot exacting revenge. He punishes as medicine. He punishes as one who loves and seeks to restore. We are not sinners in the hands of an angry God; we are sinners in the hands of a loving God who seeks reunion.
4. The hoped-for result: Then she shall say, “I will go back to my first husband, for it was better with me then than now.” God’s intent was to bring his bride back to sanity. To bring her to a place where she is ready to seek union once again. For without this union she will perish, but with it she will be united with the only one who ever did love her and who can save her.
5. Passionate lover – So I will allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart. From there I will give her the vineyards she had, and the valley of Achor as a door of hope. She shall respond there as in the days of her youth, when she came up from the land of Egypt. On that day, says the LORD, She shall call me “My husband,” and never again “My baal.” Then will I remove from her mouth the names of the Baals, so that they shall no longer be invoked. See how God wants to get alone with His bride and woo her once again! God will speak lovingly to her heart and declare again His love for her in a kind of Marriage Encounter weekend. She, now repentant and devoted, will renew her love as well. There is also an image of purgatory or purgation here. It is likely that when we die we will still have some attachments to “former lovers” in this world—lovers known as creature comforts, power, pride, misplaced priorities, and the like. So as we die, God lures us into the desert of purgatory, speaks to our heart, and cleanses us of our final attachments. After this He restores to us the vineyards of paradise that once were ours.
6. Renewed Covenant – I will make a covenant for them on that day. …I will espouse you to me forever: I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the LORD. …and I will have pity on Lo-ruhama. I will say to Lo-ammi, “You are my people,” and he shall say, “My God!” God renews the marriage bond with us, both corporately in the Church and individually!

Here then is the astonishing, undying, and pursuant love of God for His bride the Church and for each of us individually. After all our whoring and infidelity, we do not deserve it. But God is a passionate lover. As He commanded Hosea to buy back his adulterous wife, so too did God buy us back at a high price. Now to be sure, He did not pay Satan. Rather, the payment He rendered was an indication of the high sacrifice He had to make to win back our hearts. We had wandered far and He had to journey far and then carry us back.

I am not here to render a personal judgment on those who have struggled to save a marriage but were unable to do so. Rather, my purpose is to reach those who are currently struggling, striving to persevere, so that you realize that God knows your pain—he too experiences it from us, time and time again. Yet each day He renews His covenant with us and offers us mercy. If it helps to realize that God knows your pain, understand that He does. Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen, nobody knows my sorrow…nobody knows, nobody but Jesus.

There is a passage in John 16 that is unusual for its repetition. This past Sunday it was the assigned Gospel in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. The expression “in a little while” is repeated seven times in the brief passage. In fact, its repetition is almost to the point of being annoying, such that the reader is tempted to say, “Alright, already! I get it! In a little while!” But obviously John, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit want to drill this into us. The “little while” of this passage is seemingly a critical perspective for us to lay hold of.

Let’s look at the whole passage:

Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy (John 16:16-22).

OK, do you get it? A Little while! Clearly this text is a perfect illustration of the old expression repetitio mater studiorum (repetition is the mother of studies). “A little while” x 7. Obviously we’re supposed to lay hold of this; obviously it was significant to the Lord.

The Greek word translated here as “a little while” is even more evocative of brevity. It is μικρὸν (mikron), which at least in its English connotation, speaks of something very little.

Contextually, the Lord seems to be referring to the brief time between his death and resurrection. And indeed that time was brief. He was trying to prepare his disciples (in the hope?) that they might not lose faith and would be able to endure the passion. But it seems these and other words promising his resurrection “in a little while” (on the third day) had no real impact on them. All but John fled in fear, and all of them were astonished and incredulous at the resurrection when it first broke in to their reality.

But in a more extended and pastoral context, the words of Jesus are also intended for us. He wants us to grasp that “in a little while” we will see him.

This for us is a very important perspective to gain: life is short!  And this truth is both consoling and challenging for us.

It is consoling because whatever pain we are going through we need to remember that we are going through it; if we are faithful, it is not our destination. And whatever the current difficulties, they will be over “in a little while.” An old African American Spiritual says, Hold on just a little longer, everything’s gonna be alright. Another old spiritual says, Trouble don’t last always. As most of us who are a bit older know, life passes quickly—so very quickly. And whatever our troubles, they will be over in a little while. And if we have been faithful, eternity dawns with far great glories than the trouble we have endured for just “a little while.”

We ought to expect that life here will be a little uncomfortable. We live in paradise lost. We live in a fallen world, governed by a fallen angel, and we have fallen natures. We who are baptized now live in this world as strangers and aliens. We’re just passing through a world with strange customs and a strange language. We’re living out of a suitcase and have all the discomforts of travel. But in a little, while we get to go home—if we but hold to God’s unchanging hand.

Scripture speaks often of this aspect.

1. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (1 Peter 1:6-7).
2. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Cor 4:16-18).

And thus we ought to be consoled by this perspective that, whatever difficulties you’re currently going through, stay faithful. It will be over in a little while. And meanwhile it is producing and storing up glory for you.

It is also challenging to consider the “little while” of this life. Simply put, you are going to die and you don’t get to say when. You are not promised even the next beat of your heart. Tomorrow is not promised, so you’d better choose the Lord today. Do not delay your conversion to the Lord.

Life passes very swiftly. I am celebrating my 25th anniversary as a priest this year. Wow, how did that happen? I feel like I just got out of high school! Life goes so quickly. Scripture says,

1. Our life is over like a sigh. Our span is seventy years, or eighty for those who are strong. And most of these are emptiness and pain. They pass swiftly and we are gone (Ps 90:9-11).
2. But as for man, he is like the grass, of the flower of the field. The wind blows and he is gone and his place never sees him again (Ps 103:15-16).
3. Remember your Creator—before the silver cord is severed, and the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Eccles 12: finis).

Yes, life passes quickly and for most of us, the memory of our existence will linger but a generation here on earth.

But here comes the challenge. Life is short—prepare for judgment. Scripture says,

1.  It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment (Heb 9:27).
2. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad (2 Cor 5:10).
3. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Heb 4:13).

Jesus also warns: 

1. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping! What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ” (Mark 13:33-37) 
2. I am coming SOON; hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown….Behold, I am coming SOON, bringing my recompense, to repay every one for what he has done (Rev 3:11; 22:12).

Yes, life is short. And, in a little while we must all report to the judgment seat of Christ for a very honest conversation. Prepare confidently with faith, but not presumption, which is a denial of the faith. The Lord has said that we must be sober, awake, and ready. In just a little while the moment will come. You will die, and you don’t get to say when. Get ready.

There it is—perspective. The consolation is that the troubles of this life pass in “a little while.” The challenge is to be ready, for in just a little while our time here is up and the question is called.

In a little while!

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming SOON.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev 22:20)

Pope Francis, rightly or wrongly (wrongly I would argue), is the darling of self-styled “progressives” who like to see him as a model of the “change” they have been waiting for. The secular media in particular style him as moving the Church dramatically in the directions that please them. But in order to do this, they must apply a filter that ignores a great deal of what he actually says and does. As a Catholic and as Pope, Francis is not going to fit into the  media’s (or anyone’s) neat little categories. He is more complex than such convenient little boxes permit.

Pope Benedict too, despite the label of “conservative,” disappointed many conservatives with his views on the economy (as expressed in his last encyclical) and with some of his notions regarding Hell and whether anyone really went there (Benedict tended to be in the camp of Von Balthasar who “dared” to hope that most would be saved). And for all his generosity toward the Traditional Latin Mass, for the record, he never said one publicly as Pope.

Pope Francis, for all the talk of his being “liberal” or “progressive,” has some pretty tough things to say about sin, Hell, and the devil. In his daily homilies, which are not widely published (since they are not per se part of his “official” teaching), the Pope can be quite blunt:

1. He has indicated that failing to acknowledge and pray to God puts us in the Devil’s camp:  When one does not profess Jesus Christ—I recall the phrase of Leon Bloy—“Whoever does not pray to God, prays to the devil.” When one does not profess Jesus Christ, one professes the worldliness of the devil. [1]
2. He has denounced our smug, modern attitude toward sin or the need for salvation: Walking in darkness means being overly pleased with ourselves, believing that we do not need salvation. That is darkness! When we continue on this road of darkness, it is not easy to turn back. …Look to your sins, to our sins, we are all sinners, all of us. …This is the starting point. [2]
3. He is dismissive of the Church building on any foundation other than Christ: We can build many things, but if we do not confess Jesus Christ, nothing will avail. We will become a pitiful NGO, but not the Church, the Bride of Christ. [3]
4. He speaks of the increasing denial of religious liberty and of the secularism of the West as a form of apostasy: It will do us good to think about this general apostasy which is called a ban on worship and ask ourselves: ‘Do I worship the Lord? Do I adore Jesus Christ the Lord? Or do I in some measure play the game of the prince of this world?’ [4]
5. In very “un-modern” terms he says that shame needs to be rediscovered: But shame is a true Christian virtue, and even human. …You need to stand in front of the Lord “with our truth of sinners.”  …We must never masquerade before God. …This is the virtue that Jesus asks of us: humility and meekness. …I do not know if there is a similar saying in Italian, but in our country [Argentina] those who are never ashamed are called “sin verguenza.” This means “the unashamed,” because they are people who do not have the ability to be ashamed and to be ashamed is a virtue of the humble, of the man and the woman who are humble. …Ask for the grace of shame; the shame that comes from the constant dialogue of mercy with Him; the shame that makes us blush before Jesus Christ; the shame that puts us in tune with the heart of Christ. [5]

Allow these examples to suffice to show that Pope Francis can speak in very pointed and decidedly “un-modern” ways. But many in the wider culture and the media prefer to have him filtered so as to make him fit their label of the “change” Pope. The real Francis cannot be so easily pigeon-holed. A scanning of the summaries from the Vatican on the Pope’s daily homilies is a good place to start in order to discover “Francis Unplugged,” i.e., the real Pope Francis, who while stylistically different from Benedict, cannot be so easily categorized theologically.

 In Sunday’s Washington Post however comes a column that describes Pope Francis as no “modern” when it comes to the Devil. He is clear to state that the Devil is no allegory. He is very real and he is after you and your children and ought to be taken seriously. In this matter, Pope Francis has the “old time religion.” Note what the Post reports. (My comments are in plain red text.)

A darling of liberal Catholics and an advocate of inclusion and forgiveness, Pope Francis is hardly known for fire and brimstone.  [Note how the filter is described. As seen above and as any true perusal of Francis’ sermons shows, to say that “Francis is hardly known for fire and brimstone,” is a filtered perception and not the fuller reality. He does speak a good bit about sin, using strong terms like apostasy and pride, and also speaks freely of Satan and Hell. The article now goes on to describe the truer reality of “Francis Unplugged” on the subject of Satan.]

[Yet] after his little more than a year atop the Throne of St. Peter, Francis’s teachings on Satan are already regarded as the most old school of any pope since at least Paul VI. …Francis has not only dwelled far more on Satan in sermons and speeches than his recent predecessors have, but also sought to rekindle the Devil’s image as a supernatural entity with the forces­ of evil at his beck and call. …

A few months later, he praised a group long viewed by some as the crazy uncles of the Roman Catholic Church — the International Association of Exorcists — for “helping people who suffer and are in need of liberation.”…

Since its foundation, the Church has taught the existence of the Devil. But in recent decades, progressive priests and bishops, particularly in the United States and Western Europe, have tended to couch Satan in more allegorical terms. [Sadly, this is true. Many of the same generation of clerics were too ready to consign every possible case of diabolical obsession and possession to the psychiatric community. To be sure, there are times when the real issues are psychiatric. But other times this is not the case, and many times there is overlap. Too easily have we, for over a generation, dismissed diabolical incursion and reneged on our duty to pray for the deliverance of people in crisis and to do our part, in partnership with the psychiatric community.] Evil became less the wicked plan of the master of hell than the nasty byproduct of humanity’s free will.

Even Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, a lofty German theologian, often painted evil with a broad brush. [I’m not so sure about this. To some extent it is true that Pope Benedict had highly refined and scholarly ways of speaking, lots of distinctions, etc., but at the end of the day, I never doubted he knew the devil was real.] 

“Pope Francis never stops talking about the Devil; it’s constant,” said one senior bishop in Vatican City who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to speak freely. “Had Pope Benedict done this, the media would have clobbered him.”

Some progressive theologians complain, the pope is undermining his reputation as a leader who in so many other ways appears to be more in step with modern society than his predecessor. “He is opening the door to superstition,” said Vito Mancuso, a Catholic theologian and writer. [Again, filter alert! Pay attention, “progressive” theologians, Francis does not fit your little mold and is not a shill in your program. Pope Francis, like any good Catholic, doesn’t fit into worldly boxes and categories.] 

[These are excerpts from the Post article. The full article is here: Modern Pope, Old School on the Devil.]

It’s good to get a little of this bigger picture out there. I have not said a lot about Pope Francis directly on this blog because I am afraid that too many bring polarized notions about him to the discussion, notions driven not by the real “unplugged” Francis, but rather by a “spun” Francis, a “filtered” Francis.

Debates can surely continue about whether and how Pope Francis’ tendency to speak off the cuff is helpful or not, whether or not he is being played by the media, etc. I will leave these prudential notions to others. But for our purposes here, it probably helps to see at least some evidence that the real Pope Francis, unfiltered and unplugged, is a bit more complex than the categorizers understand. Those of us who strive to be loyal Catholics do well to look a little past the headlines, a little deeper, and listen and pray more than we react. After all he is the Vicar of Christ. And Jesus doesn’t fit into secular boxes or categories either.

I would value your contributions, especially about things that Pope Francis has said that don’t fit the mold, sayings that surprise and cut across secular categories.

By the way, who is in the photo at the upper right? Yup, that’s Pope Francis saying Mass Ad Orientem.

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is traditionally called Good Shepherd Sunday, for the readings focus on how our risen Lord Jesus is our shepherd, who leads us to eternal life. But of course the flip side of the Lord being our shepherd, is that we are His sheep.  We sometimes miss the humor of the Lord calling us sheep.  The Lord could have said that we are strong and swift as horses, beautiful as gazelles, or brave as lions. But instead, he said we are like sheep. I guess I’ve been called worse, but it’s a little humbling and embarrassing, really. And yet sheep are worthwhile animals and they have a certain quality that makes them pretty smart, as we shall see. Are you smarter than a sheep? Well, let’s look and see how we stack up as we look at this gospel in three stages.

I. The Situation of the Sheep – In this Gospel the Lord is speaking to Pharisees and seeking almost to reassure them that he is not like other false shepherds—false messiahs who have led many astray in recent years. Jesus says, Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. …All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. …A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy.

The times in which Jesus lived were times of great social unrest and political turmoil. There were heightened expectations of a coming messiah who would liberate Israel from its Roman and Herodian oppressors. Given the climate of the times, most had emphasized the role of the messiah as a political and economic liberator who would come, wage war, and then triumphantly reestablish the Davidic Monarchy in all its worldly glory.

Josephus, a Jewish historian of the time, may have exaggerated (but only a little) when he spoke of 10,000 insurrections in the years leading up to the Jewish War with the Romans (66–70 AD). But even as early as Jesus’ lifetime there had been many conflicts and bloody uprisings led by numerous false messiahs. It is most likely these whom Jesus calls “thieves and robbers.” It is also the likely explanation for Jesus’ resistance to being called Messiah, except in very specific circumstances (Matt 16:16,20; Mk 8:30; Mk 14:62).

Jesus also warned that after he ascended, false messiahs would continue to plague the land:

For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it (Matt 24:24-26).

Ultimately these false Christs did arise and mislead many, and the results were horrible. Josephus says that 1.2 million Jewish people lost their lives during the Jewish War with the Romans.

So here is the situation of the sheep. Jesus speaks of the dangers of false messiahs and false saviors, and He denounces them unambiguously as thieves and robbers. We too live in a world in which many erroneous philosophies, false messiahs, and “saviors” seek to claim our loyalties and engage us in their error.

Perhaps it is the false claims of materialism, a theory which says that the right combination of wealth and power can bring meaning and happiness. And sadly many of the “prosperity Gospel” preachers expound this by their silence on the cross and sin.

Perhaps it is the error of secularism, which exalts the state and the culture and puts their importance above that of God. Many in the Church and in the Protestant denominations (both clergy and lay) follow false shepherds and call others to do so. They seek to align their faith more closely with their politics, instead of adjusting their politics to agree with their faith; they show more allegiance to their “party” than to the Faith; they do not address the errors associated with their political point of view; they are more likely to see their political leaders as shepherds than they are to view their bishops or priests in that way. Many also follow the false shepherds of our culture and look there for moral leadership rather than to God, the Scriptures, or the Church. If Miley Cyrus says it, it must be so. But if the Church says something, there is anger and protest. Yes, false messiahs are all around us in the secular culture, and sadly, many Catholics and Christians follow them like sheep to the slaughter.

Perhaps it is the arrogance of modern times, which claims a special enlightenment over previous eras (such as the biblical era) which were “less enlightened and tolerant.” Here too, many false shepherds in the clothing of trendy preachers and theologians have sought to engage God’s people in the sort of arrogance that thinks we moderns have “come of age” and may safely ignore the wisdom of the past as expressed in the Scriptures and in sacred Tradition.

Perhaps it is the promiscuity of this age, which claims sexual liberty for itself but never counts the cost in terms of broken lives, broken families, STDs, AIDS, high divorce rates, teenage pregnancy, abortion, and so on. Sadly, many so-called preachers and supposedly Christian denominations now bless homosexual unions and ordain clergy who are practicing the homosexual “lifestyle.” Many also support abortion and contraception, and speak little or nothing about premarital sex (fornication).

Yes the sheep are still afflicted, and false philosophies and messiahs abound. Jesus calls those false saviors thieves and marauders (robbers) because they want to steal from us what the Lord has given, and harm us by leading us astray. Their wish is ultimately to slaughter and destroy.

Do not be misled by the soft focus of these wolves in sheep’s clothing, by their message of “tolerance” and humanitarian concern. A simple look at the death toll in the 20th century from such ideologies shows the actual wolf lurking behind these foolish and evil trends that have misled the flock.

And as for these false shepherds, remember this: not one of them ever died for you. Only Jesus did that.

II. The Shepherd of the Sheep – Having rejected false shepherds, Jesus now goes on to describe himself as the true Shepherd:

But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.“

Now this passage tells us not only of the true Shepherd, but also of his true sheep. For the true Shepherd is sent by the Father who is the gatekeeper and has opened the way for the Son, and True Shepherd. The Father has confirmed the Son both by signs and wonders, and by the fulfillment of prophesies in abundance.

And of the true sheep the Lord says that they not only recognize His voice, but also that they will run from a stranger because they do not recognize his voice.

In sheep herding areas, flocks belonging to different shepherds are often brought together in fenced-off areas for the night, especially in the cooler months. And one may wonder how shepherds can tell which sheep belong to which shepherd. Ultimately the sheep sort themselves out. For in the morning a shepherd will go to the gate and summon, with a chant-like call, his sheep. Those that recognize his voice will run to him; those that do not will recoil in fear. Now that’s actually pretty smart! Sheep may not know how to go to the moon and back, but they DO know their master’s voice.

And so the question for us is, “Are we smarter than sheep?” Sheep have the remarkable quality of knowing their master’s voice, and of instinctively fearing any other voice and fleeing from it.

In this matter, it would seem that sheep are smarter than are most of us. For we do not flee voices contrary to Christ. Instead we draw close and say, “Tell me more.” In fact we spend a lot of time and pay a lot of money to listen to other voices. We spend large amounts of money to buy televisions so that the enemy’s voice can influence us and our children. We spend huge amounts of time with TV, radio, and the Internet. And we can be drawn so easily to the enemy’s voice.

And not only do we NOT flee it, we feast on it. And instead of rejecting it, we turn and rebuke the voice of God, and put His Word on trial instead of putting the world on trial.

The goal for us is to be more wary, like sheep, and to recognize only one voice: that of the Lord speaking though his Church, and then to flee every other voice.

Are you smarter than a sheep? You decide.

III. The Salvation of the Sheep – The text says, Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. …I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

Here then is the description of the Christian life: acceptance, access, and abundance.

• Acceptance – The text says we must enter through the gate, and the gate is Christ. We are invited to accept the offer of being baptized into Christ Jesus. In today’s first reading (from Acts), Peter and the other apostles are asked by the repentant and chastened crowd: “What are we to do, my brothers?” Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. …“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day. Yes we are invited to enter through the gate, to be baptized into Christ Jesus, for He is the gate and the way to the Father.
• Access – In accepting baptism, we enter through the gate and now have access to the wide and green pastures. Jesus describes this entry as being saved. Now we tend to think of salvation rather abstractly, almost as if we were now in some new legal category, having gone from being guilty to having the charges dismissed. But this represents only a very limited understanding of salvation. The Greek word σωθήσεται (sothesetai) more fully means to be “safe, rescued,” delivered out of danger and into safety. The word in the New Testament is  used principally to refer to God rescuing believers from the penalty and power of sin—and bringing them into His safety and grace. So, being saved is more than just changing legal categories; it is new life! It is power over sin; it is being kept safe from the poison of sin and its terrible enslaving effects. Salvation is also related to the concept of health (salus = health and well being). Hence for the believer who accepts Christ’s offer, there is now access to the protected pasture; there is the supply or provision of grazing land as well. For the Lord feeds his faithful and brings them strength. Yes, there is access to God’s many gifts.
• Abundance – The Lord concludes by saying that He came in order that we might have life more abundantly. And here is the fundamental purpose of all He did: that we might live more abundantly. Abundant life is really the root of what is meant by eternal life. For eternal does not refer merely to the length of life, but even more, to the fullness of life. And while we will not enjoy this completely until Heaven, it DOES begin now. We, through Christ our good shepherd, become gradually, more fully alive. Although I am over fifty years old, and my body in some physical sense is less alive than it used to be, my soul is more alive than ever! I have more joy, more confidence, more peace, and more contentment. I struggle less with many sins and have a greater capacity to love and to forgive. The Lord has granted this by giving me access to His pasture and His grace, and feeding me there. I am more abundantly alive at fifty-three than I ever was at twenty-three. Yes, the Lord came that we might have life more abundantly—I am a witness of this. Eternal life has already begun in me and is growing day by day.

So, are you smarter than a sheep? Then run to Jesus. Flee every other voice. Enter the sheepfold and let Him give you life.

This song says, “I said I wasn’t gonna tell nobody, but I couldn’t keep it to myself what the Lord has done for me. …And then I started walkin’, started talkin’, started singin’, started shoutin’ O what the Lord has done for me.” Enjoy an old gospel classic.

The video below presents a scenario to which we can all relate. There is a biker who touches a car at each stoplight; as the clip progresses we see the driver become increasingly annoyed. I’ll leave the humorous end to your viewing pleasure. But as you view it, don’t tell me you don’t get annoyed by the biker; maybe you even want to shout at him, “Don’t touch my stuff!” And don’t tell me you don’t react with glee at the end of the commercial.

But why do we get so annoyed at seemingly harmless things like this? Is there some ancient territorial instinct in us? Is it a kind of animal instinct such as we see in dogs and cats, or in wild animals, or in birds?

Psychologists call these sorts of things “boundary violations.” But merely naming something does not explain it. It would seem that “rational” creatures like us would be able to conclude that there is no harm caused by a small boundary violation such as we see in this video. But the instinct to be annoyed remains strong.

Jesus addressed this territorial tendency on a few occasions:

1. Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. (Mark 9:38-40)
2. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. (Mat 5:38-41)
3. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. (Luke 6:30)

And thus the Lord counsels a kind of detachment from things, honors, and territorial matters. Certainly some defense against bodily harm or grand theft has its place, but the Lord seems to have in mind here those smaller things about which we can become so touchy and irritated. The Lord counsels a sort of generous spirit, less egotism, less obsession with what is mine, and freedom from the peevish mentality that brings us to say things such as, “Keep your grubby hands off it…you can’t have it…that’s mine…that’s my favorite pew, why are you sitting there…”

At any rate “enjoy” the video and ponder the mystery of how easily we are provoked and how uptight we can get. And then ask yourself, “Why?”