Friar’s Corner: Jesus is our resurrection and new life
Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalm 130:1-6; Romans 8:8-11; 45
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from Your clear celestial home,
Shed a ray of light divine.
Come, Father of Your poor ones!
Come source of all our store!
Come, within our being shine!
Let us ask the Holy Spirit to come and enlighten our minds and calm our fears, worries and anxieties during these trying days over most of the northern half of our planet. It has not moved to much of the southern parts yet. I begin by asking the Holy Spirit to help us pray first, as I did last week with part of the Pentecost Sequence.
As we look at all of these readings this Sunday, we can see the Holy Trinity at work. In the Ezekiel, reading God says that “He will open your graves and have you rise from them.” A little later he said, “I will put My Spirit in you that you may live” (a new life). This was given us when we were Baptized. In Psalm 130, we are crying out for God’s mercy and fullness of redemption in these days so affected by Covid-19. With so many confined at home these weeks, rather than wasting time with games and TV, we can beg God to transform our minds and hearts. Let us get as close to God, the Holy Trinity, in prayer as fish do to water. There are so many Catholic helps on the internet with EWTN and many others.
The last great sign
The Gospel story in St. John is his last of Jesus’ great signs. About one week before his own death and resurrection, Jesus goes to visit his good friends in Bethany. Lazarus had died 4 days before and Jesus went to raise him from the dead and comfort his sisters and countless other Jews. Yet this great miracle was “the straw that broke the camel’s back,” as it were. The Jewish leadership was furious about this last miracle. Countless Jews were turning to Jesus as their long-awaited Savior. Yet he had not gone to the “rabbinical seminary” in Jerusalem to get his degree to teach. They had to kill Jesus or, as the high priest Caiaphas said, “the whole world will be running after Jesus” and leaving us.
This is a wonderful gospel to enter into the last two weeks before Easter. Jesus is our Resurrection and New Life, John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Me, though he die, will come to life…” And how do we get to that New Life? We must get to know and follow Jesus, John 14:1ff: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith in God and faith in Me (Jesus). In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places….” Jesus went back to heaven to get “our house” ready for us, if we follow him. He also said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life,” John 14:6.
Be ready for Jesus
As this virus spreads, many will be called from earthly life. Let us get our life in order and be ready to go with Jesus if he comes for us. Get on the web and look up some definitions of what the scriptures say about heaven and what the church has developed since then. There are a number of places to read stories about people who had departed this life and were sent back. They tell us some wonderful stories of what is on the other side and “not to be afraid of death.” In about 10 minutes we shall be drawn to meet our resurrected Lord in his wonderful glory for our personal judgment. Let’s get our life in order so we have no regrets and are ready for a whole new life.
Friends, this is no joke. Get a copy of the face of Jesus at truefaceofjesus.com and watch BBC and PBS. These channels give us updated news about the rapid effects of this virus. You might hear comparisons with the “Spanish flu.” The one more interesting reading online is about the “Great Plague” or “Black Death,” in Europe in the fourteenth century: 72 to 200 million people perished in Europe. True, their science and cleanliness were not good. We are not sure where and exactly when this current virus started and how it got here. It is spreading so rapidly in more advanced countries in the north. What will happen when it goes to more southern countries without all our knowledge and medical assistance?
This is why we need to pray, pray and pray more, make spiritual communions and adoration of Jesus in our tabernacles, where churches are open. Put a picture of Jesus, our Divine Mercy facing out, on the doors of your homes asking Jesus to protect you. Ask Jesus to fill you with more of the power of the blessings we were all given at our Baptism, faith, hope and love. A help in home prayer is praying the prayer of Christians in the “Short Christian Prayer” book available from Amazon or an app on your cell phone or tablet.
If it is my time to go, I am not afraid. I want to be up in heaven praising and worshiping God with all the angels and saints in glory. Have a safe and blessed week as I keep all of you and yours in my prayers,
+ Father Bob Hilz
fbhilz@gmail.com
(© 2020 Father Bob Hilz, TOR)
